Where There's Smoke, There's Fire
by Detective Olivia Stabler
Summary: People have been whispering about the closeness between Elliot & Olivia for years. Rumors are circulating, but could there be some truth to the rumors? This started out as a one shot & was too long, so I broke it into chapters. EO. Please read & review.
1. 1 Rumors

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter One: Rumors)_

"What are you looking at?" Olivia growled at Fin across the room.

"Looks like you may have had just a bit too much fun last night."

"I don't know what the problem is. I have drank way more than that before and not gotten a hangover."

"Liv, you drank about a gallon of tequila last night. Then the Champaign, a couple of beers and whatever that bad smelling shit in those shots was."

Olivia slid her dark sunglasses down the bridge of her nose to look him in the eye.

"_Jager bombs,"_ she clarified. "A wonderful idea brought on by Detective Stabler's frat boy days. I could kill him."

"I'm just saying, you were mixing all kinds of stuff last night."

"It was Independence Day and it was a party. I was supposed to have today off. I was supposed to be able to sleep it off today….all day today. How was I supposed to know I would get a call at six o'clock this morning demanding me to come in?"

"It was Independence Day and there were parties," he mocked.

Olivia exhaled as she looked at the practically empty room around them.

"Where is Elliot, anyway?"

"On his way in here," Fin answered handing her a cup of coffee and a couple of aspirin. "You guys have a wild night last night?"

Olivia gulped her coffee and raised her head to look at him.

"You were there."

"I mean, _after_."

"We left the bar around two and went to get something to eat. Then headed back to my place."

"Ahh," Fin said with a nod.

"Time out. What exactly are you asking here? You think that Elliot and I…."

Fin didn't respond. He knew exactly what she was trying to say, but wanted to drag it out of her slowly so that he could assess the situation himself.

"I don't appreciate being interrogated about my personal life!"

"I'm not interrogating. And if you are doing what I think you are doing, with who I think you're doing it with, then it interferes with work and is no longer a personal matter."

"Fin, you are really pissing me off right now! And not helping the hang over one bit!"

"Olivia, this is a bad, bad, bad idea. I am just trying to help you. You guys work together. Not to mention there are already suspicions about….well, you know, and there have been for years."

"So you think that I am sleeping with Elliot?"

"There are rumors. I didn't say that I agree with them. And there was a lot of touching and insinuating movements on the dance floor the last night."

"We were dancing. Trying to have some fun and relax the one night we had off in about two months."

"He practically carried you out of the bar and you were hanging all over each other."

"We're friends. We're close."

"Very close. You were hanging all over each other and climbed into the back of the cab together. You went back to your place…."

"We went back to my place and ate breakfast together from take out containers. We sat together on the sofa, where I asked Elliot how the kids were doing and I passed out before he could answer. He must have left some time after that. I woke up on my sofa covered with a blanket from the hall closet. ALONE! Not that it is any of _your_ business. But I am pretty sure that if there had been any sex, I would have remembered it. I would be able to tell anyway," she said as if trying to convince herself that sex infact didn't happen. "A woman can tell these things."

"I believe you. You just may want to watch how you guys interact in public. People confuse this closeness with flirting and they assume something is going on."

"I can't believe this," Olivia replied taking another drink of her coffee. "I can't work with a man without people assuming I am fucking him?"

"Who are you fucking?" Elliot joked entering the room.

Olivia glared at him across her coffee cup.

"Apparently you."

"As always I am the last to know," Elliot remarked. "Was I any good?"

"Elliot, this isn't funny!"

"Relax. Who the hell cares what other people think anyway?"

"I care. We work our asses off to try and bring some kind of justice to victims and because we are together so much people assume that we are sleeping together as well. And the part I find the strangest is that you do not seem shocked at all."

"Liv, people have been whispering for years. Even Kathy suspected stuff was going on."

"You never told me that."

"I figured you knew. It doesn't matter. We know the truth."

"It does matter. Not addressing this issue just makes it worse. This makes me sound like some big slut, who was screwing someone else's husband! And it has been months since I have even had sex."

Fin stopped what he was doing to look at Olivia.

"What?" she asked looking at him again.

"Nothing," Fin said shaking his head. "That is just a little hard to believe, that's all. Months?"

"Tragic, I know," Olivia replied.

"Fin! You're not helping," Elliot reminded him.

"Is that why Kathy filed for divorce?" Olivia asked.

"Of course not. Kathy and I hadn't been happy together in a while. She left because she wanted out. It had nothing to do with you."

"You would tell me if it did, right?"

"Olivia, stop beating yourself up for things that are out of your control. Kathy knows that nothing happened between you and I. I set her straight on that a long time ago."

"Did she realize that you are one of the few men in the world who wouldn't cheat?"

"I don't know. But what I do know is that nothing that happened between she and I was because of you. I don't want you thinking that some rumor about you and I broke up my marriage. Now, do you feel better?"

"About that, yes. But what are we going to do about everyone at work saying these things?"

"I don't think there really is anything we can do. You and I know the truth. Our friends know the truth. Anyone beyond that point is not my concern. Don't let it bother you."

"Now that we have all arrived," Cragen announced looking in Elliot's direction as he walked out of his office and into the bullpen, "it looks like we had a pretty wild night last night. "Munch and Fin, we got a hit on the Fletcher case. Our perp struck again last night. The victim is twenty seven year old Danielle Davies," he said handing Fin a slip of paper with the address on it. "CSI is working the scene now, I want you over there immediately. And you two…."

"You want us to head over to the hospital to talk to the girl?" Elliot asked.

"There is no need. He didn't give this one the chance to speak. The perp broke her neck during the attack."

"So what do you need us to do?" Olivia asked.

"Benson and Stabler, pack your sleeping bags! You're going camping."

"Camping?" Olivia laughed, noticing the serious look on Cragen's face.

"Yes, camping. Seven year old Arianna Brooks disappeared from her family's campsite just outside of Detroit, yesterday afternoon. The suspect is a man we put away a few years back for the kidnapping and murder of a six year old."

"How the hell did he get out?" Elliot asked.

"Prisons are over crowded and lawyers are full of shit. His appeal was finally granted, but it wasn't because he wasn't guilty. We had enough evidence on this bastard to put him away for life."

"Then how did he get the appeal?"

"A rookie filled out the forms wrong during processing and gave them grounds for the appeal."

"Wait, Detroit is a bit out of our district," Olivia said.

"The F.B.I. caught the case and requested the help of the SVU."

"They have SVU branches in Michigan," Elliot argued.

"The last time he abducted a child he kept her hidden in the woods for three weeks before we got close and he killed her. He knows the area and has several hideouts and underground bunkers scattered in the area. He used these to keep hidden with the last victim so long. You are going to be helping the F.B.I. track this guy and help to catch him, hopefully before he can bring any harm to another child. Locals have reported seeing the perp in the area just days before Arianna disappeared. These people don't have any idea how to work with child victims and they don't know this guy. They cant get into his head the way that the two of you already have. The F.B.I. requested this branch. Specifically the two of you."

"Haung must be behind this," Olivia said.

"Actually, it was Agent Porter who requested your assistance," Cragen explained.

"Your biggest fan," Elliot said looking at his partner.

"Am I missing something?" Cragen asked.

"Dean Porter is slightly in love with Detective Benson. No doubt his little crush has something to do with this."

"Is there a problem here?" Cragen asked Olivia.

"We dated for a few months. It was a long time ago. I think he will keep it professional, I don't think he will let it will interfere with the case."

"I wont let it interfere with the case," Elliot said protectively.

"Well, I trust the two of you to keep the situation under control."

"Of course," Olivia agreed.

"Great. Get packed. I want the two of you on the road in within the hour."


	2. 2 Road Trip

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Two: Road Trip)_

They drove for hours, barely saying a word. Elliot was focusing on finding them a place to crash for the night and Olivia was wondering how she was going to handle spending the next several days in the woods with a bunch of men.

"This place looks good," Elliot said pointing to a motel a little way up the road.

"Yeah, if you don't mind staying at the Bates Motel," Olivia said staring out the window at the rundown building as they approached it.

"Liv, we have to stay somewhere. I am exhausted, I can't drive much more. Besides this might be your last chance for a hot shower for a few days."

"Elliot, that place looks condemned and is probably roach infested and we would end up with lice. If you want to stay here, go ahead. I would rather sleep in the car."

"Fine," he groaned rubbing the back of his head as he drove on down the road. "But we are seriously going to have to find some place to stop."

"Why don't we just drive on through?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No. If we keep driving we will get there early in the morning. We can get a room then and get a couple hours sleep before we meet up with Porter."

"Liv…."

"I'll drive. You try to catch a nap. I would just rather get the driving over with tonight."

"Alright. I'll stop at this station up here for a bathroom break and we can switch out then."

At the gas station Elliot and Olivia walked around for a few minutes.

"I can't believe they don't have any real coffee," she said wrinkling up her nose as she placed the pot back on the warmer.

"What is that?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I'm not drinking it. It smells like it has been here for days and appears to have a chunk in the bottom."

Elliot laughed.

"You don't like chunks in your coffee?"

"Umm, no."

"They have Starbucks over here and energy drinks."

Olivia opened the door of the cooler and stood there for a moment looking over her options.

"I guess this will have to do," she said picking up a frappuccino.

"It is Starbucks. How bad could it be?"

"It isn't the same. But I really need caffeine right now. Infact, I think I will get two."

She carried her coffee drinks to the counter and laid them beside her pack of sugar free gum and Elliot's 44 oz. cola, four sticks of jerky and bag of pork rinds.

"Will this be all for you tonight?" the girl behind the counter asked.

"No, I also had twenty dollars in gasoline on pump five," Elliot replied pulling his credit card from his pocket.

"El, I can get mine."

"I've got it," he insisted. "Besides, I am turning in all of the receipts for the trip. I'll get reimbursed."

"You have a plan for everything, don't you?"

"I try to. It's better than not ever knowing what is going on," he said as they climbed back into the car. "You hungry?" he asked popping a pork rind into his mouth and offering her the bag.

"No thank you. I don't eat hairy food."

"What are you talking about?" he asked tossing another one into his mouth.

"It is deep fried pork skin and they are still covered in hair. Those are disgusting."

"I like them."

Olivia cleared her throat and returned her attention to the road.

"So, you wanna tell me what's going on with you?" Elliot asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, I am with you day in and day out. You may be able to hide it from Cragen, Olivia, but I can tell when there is something bothering you."

"I'm fine."

"And you suck at lying."

"Elliot."

"Olivia."

She turned and gave him a not so happy look.

"You think I haven't noticed you have been especially moody lately?"

"I'm still half hung over."

"It isn't that. Are you still upset about that little conversation with Fin?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I don't even know what you are talking about."

"Fine, but you are just going to make a long trip even longer."

"Really, I'm fine. I guess I'm just not too excited about seeing Dean again."

"I thought you said things ended on a good note?"

"I don't think there was a good note in our entire relationship."

"Did he hurt you?" Elliot snapped, whipping his head around to look at her.

"No, he would never hurt me. Not physically, anyway."

"Was it serious?"

"As serious as a two month fling could be."

"Two months is a while for you. Most men don't make it past the second date. You really liked this guy?"

"I did."

"Did. Or do?"

"Elliot, in the two months we dated I was only actually in the same room with him a handful of times."

"Did he sleep over any of those times?"

Elliot watched her for a reaction as she stared at the road.

"Olivia," he said as she smiled. "You had sex with Agent Porter?"

"Maybe."

"Bad liar. You totally slept with him."

"We dated two months, what do you think?"

"I can tell by the look on your face, you did. So, it was bad?"

"What? No. It, the sex I mean, it was good. It only happened a couple of times, but it was really good. And he was a really good man when he was with me."

"Then what was the problem?"

"Well, he wasn't that great of a guy when he wasn't with me."

"He cheated on you?"

"He cheated _with_ me. And on me, I guess. I just didn't know it at the time. He had a fiancé in another state, that he forgot to mention."

"What a dick."

"Elliot, don't do this."

"What?"

"This. You have to let me deal with this Porter thing. Okay? Promise me you won't say anything to him."

"What am I gonna say?"

"El…."

"Alright. But the guy is a douche."

Olivia laughed.

"Yea, he kind of is. Anyway, I guess maybe I have been dreading this just a little. I was really hoping not to have to deal with him anymore after we broke up. But I can't exactly explain that to Cragen and expect him to understand."

"I understand. And if you have any trouble with Porter while we are here just let me know. I have been dying for the chance to set that man straight."

"You never really have liked him, have you?"

"I had a feeling about him. Turns out I was right."

"Insert _I told you so, _here."

"I wouldn't do that. Besides, it isn't like I haven't made my share of mistakes."

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about any of this."

"It's alright. It just isn't like you to keep secrets."

"You were in the middle of a divorce. You had bigger problems to worry about than me and my messy love life."

"Olivia, I always have time for you. Anytime you need to talk or wanna vent, I'm here."

"I know, I just didn't want to drag you into it." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "It isn't like I was going to marry the guy."

"Do you still care about him?"

Olivia sat quiet for a moment and didn't respond.

"I don't want to. But I guess there is still something there or I wouldn't be dreading seeing him this so much."

"Are you still in love with him?"

"I didn't think I was ever in love with him. But now, I'm not so sure."

"Let's assume he's single now."

"Elliot…."

"No, stick with me here. Let's assume he's single and realized what a HUGE mistake he made when he let you go. And he apologizes, from the depths of his heart and wants nothing more than a second chance to make it right…."

"I thought you didn't like Dean Porter?"

"I don't like him. But I want you to be happy. And if that means I have to deal with Porter, then so be it."

Olivia smiled.

"So, would you give him another chance?"

"I don't know. We would have to talk through a few things first. And this is all on the assumption that he wants to get back together with me anyway. He may not. He had a fiancé. He could be married now for all I know."

"I don't think so."

"What makes you so sure?"

"A guy who couldn't commit to you? There is no way he ran back and married some other girl. I have seen the way he looks at you. _And_ he has seen you _naked_."

"No one has looked at me in a long time," she said softly.

"It's his loss. Like I said, he's a douche."

Elliot smiled and stared at her until she smiled as well.

"You will find someone, Liv. You are a great catch. And some day the right guy is gonna come along and be amazing and sweep you off your feet. And you will be the happiest girl in the world."

"How do you know?"

"Because you deserve it."

"Thanks, El."

"You sure you don't want to find a place to pull over and crash for a few hours?"

"No, I'm good. Me and my Starbucks frappuccino."

"They're pretty good, huh?"

"It isn't the same, but it's not bad. I like the mocha one better than the vanilla, but they're good. Are you going to go to sleep?"

"I'm not as tired now."

"Then do you mind if we find some music to help keep me awake?"

"Sure," Elliot said reaching for the radio.

He skipped through several stations that barely came in or had a ball game or news program on them. After several minutes of searching he settled on the only station that was playing music.

"You like eighties music?" Elliot asked.

"I love it," Olivia said with a smile.

"Seriously? I never knew that about you."

Olivia laughed.

"I'm a nerd, I know. But I probably know every word of every song they play on this station."

"So, you listen to eighties music. Good to know."

"I listen to a little bit of everything. I am also a big fan of older country music."

"Country?"

"Yea, from about the late seventies to the early nineties. Big fan of Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline."

"Oh, wow."

"What? They are the greats!"

"I'm not arguing that. I just never would have guessed you listened to country music. How have I know you all of these years and never known you were a fan of country music?"

"There are a few things about me that you don't know, detective."

"Like what?"

"Just things."

"I thought I knew everything about you."

"You know a lot. More than anyone else. Most of my secrets, but there are a few details I have managed to keep to myself."

"We have always been able to talk about anything. We're best friends."

"El, we still can. You know things about me that no one else knows. I have talked to you about everything from my sex life to my freakin' period for God sake. It doesn't get much more detailed than that. You are not just my best friend, you are kind of my only friend."

"You have the guys and Casey."

"The guys are more like brothers and co-workers. And I don't know, it's just different with Casey."

"You don't talk?"

"We talk. But she and I are not as close as you and I are. I don't know how to explain it."

Elliot smiled.

"You don't have to, Liv. I know exactly what you are talking about. I have other friends….the guys….but you are the only one I can really talk to. I think that is the best friend thing."

"But we have always kind of had this connection, since we first met. We just click."

"We click?"

Olivia laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

Elliot watched as Olivia fought off a yawn, eventually giving in to the temptation.

"There is another town about half an hour up the road. It's bigger and I am sure they have a real hotel. What do you say we call it a night?"

"I thought we were gonna drive through?"

"Liv, you're tired and I'm tired. We are over half way there. We can get up early and knock out the rest of the trip in the morning."

"Is that really what you want to do?"

"It is what I want. Does that work for you?"

"I am tired," she said as a smiled slowly spread across her face.

Elliot stared at her as she began to laugh.

"I thought the coffee drinks would help."

"They didn't?"

"They are what got us through the last three and a half hours of the trip."

"Fair enough."

Olivia drove a few more miles down the road until they found a decent looking hotel. Elliot went in to the front desk to get them checked in as Olivia dug her overnight bag out of the trunk of the car.

"We gotta go around to the other side of the building," Elliot said walking back out to the car.

Olivia held her bag in her lap as she got into the passenger's seat and he climbed behind the wheel.

"Here's the key," he said handing her a white plastic card.

"Is this mine or yours?"

Elliot stared at her for a moment.

"Do we really need two rooms?"

"You only got one room?"

"Liv, we are going to be sleeping about five hours, then hitting the road again. I figured as long as it had two beds it would be okay."

Olivia tipped her head to think about it for a second.

"I guess you're right. But I get the first shower in the morning."

"That is fine by me as long as you save me a little hot water."

"Cragen will be glad I saved a little money on this trip."

"Yeah, more money for the important things, like pork rinds."

"Smart ass."

"Just drive the car, Stabler. I am exhausted and I get really bitchy when I am tired. I am not to be held responsible for anything that is said or done once I hit that point."

"I think I can take it."

"You think so?"

"I have seen you cranky before. And I survived."

"You have seen me cranky, Elliot. Bitchy is an entirely different universe."

Elliot looked her in the eye, but didn't dare say anything.

"What?"

"I didn't say a word."

Olivia smiled.

"You know better, huh?"

"I have an ex-wife and three daughters, I have seen my share of bitchy. I have also learned to avoid it at all costs. But I promise you, I have seen you at your worst and it isn't that bad."

"I don't know whether to punch you or kiss you," she said as he parked the car.

"Lets just go inside and get some sleep."

A few hours later they were on the road again. Olivia stretched and yawned in the passenger's seat.

"You about ready for some caffeine?" Elliot asked handing her another mocha Starbucks frappuccino.

"When did you do this?"

"When you were in the shower, I went ahead and gassed up the car. I got us both some breakfast."

"Thanks."

"Are you ready for this?" Elliot asked. "We will be there in a little over three hours."

"I'm ready to get it over with and head back to New York."

"I meant facing Porter."

"I know what you meant," she exhaled and turned her attention out the window. "I'm ready to get that over with as well. I just want to get there, get down to business, close this case and head back home to my life."

"And Dean Porter?"

"He is not part of that life."

"But he could be?"

"El, can we please talk about something else?"

"Sure. You ever been camping? Sleeping outdoors and living with wildlife?"

"We have to sleep outdoors? You're kidding right?"

Elliot laughed.

"We have tents and sleeping bags, so you wont be completely outside. But it isn't the Four Seasons either.

"Elliot, I was born and raised in New York city. The closest I have ever been to wildlife is getting off the subway in the wrong part of the city or a black Friday sale at Macy's. I'm a city girl. Sleeping bags and campfires just aren't my thing."

"Why not?"

"I'm not a big fan of bugs. Or dirt. Or….animals, I guess."

"You're not exactly looking forward to any part of this trip are you?"

"The going back home part. I know, I am starting to feel a little anxious about it and not in a good way. I could handle camping or dealing with Dean Porter, but the two of them together, I'm not quite sure."

"You are bulletproof. No one or nothing, especially some moron like Dean Porter is going to take you down. Not unless you let him."

"Right," she agreed, nodding her head. "What if he's married?" she asked softly.

"He isn't good enough for you anyway."

Olivia smiled at Elliot's attempt to cheer her up. She took a deep breath and exhaled again as she leaned back in her seat and stared out the window again. It was still dark for the most part and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. The sky was dark except for the layer nearest the earth where a dark purplish glow faded into deep pink as the earth seemed to give birth to the new day.

"I really would rather talk about something else," she said studying the shapes on the side of the road as they appeared from the darkness.

"Alright," Elliot said turning on the radio and searching for the station they had been listening to the night before.

"There," Elliot said as he listened to the first few chords of a Journey song.

"I love this song," Olivia said raising her head at attention as the guitar riff gave way to the first few lyrics.

She watched and smiled as Elliot began to sing along with the song.

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere," he sang as Olivia laughed and nodded her head.

"Just a city boy, born n' raised in south Detroit," she jumped in. "He took the midnight train going anywhere," she belted.

"Hell yeah," Elliot encouraged her, mocking his air guitar during a steel solo while she drummed on the dashboard. "A singer in a smokey room…."

"The smell of wine and cheap perfume," Olivia continued. "For a smile, they can share the night," they harmonized together. "It go's on and on and on and on," Olivia sang at the top of her lungs.

"Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard," they sang together as Olivia turned in her seat to face Elliot. "Their shadows searching in the night. Streetlight, people, livin' just to find emotion, hidin' somewhere in the night…" they continued.

"Workin' hard to get my fill," Olivia sang. "Everybody wants a thrill," Elliot responded.

"Yeah, they do," she injected. "Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time…."

"Some will win, some will lose. Some are born to sing the blues." "Oh, the movie never ends; it go's on and on and on and on."

"Strangers, waiting," Elliot sang along with the music. "Up and down the boulevard." "Their shadows searching in the night." "Streetlight, people," she sang as she danced around in her seat. "Livin' just to find emotion," he continued. "Hidin' somewhere in the night…" she sang picking up where he had left off.

Olivia bounced around in her seat in anticipation of the next line.

"Here we go," she said with a smile as they began to sing the chorus together.

"Don't stop believin'. Hold on to that feelin'. Streetlight, people... Don't stop believin'. Hold on. Streetlight, people…"

"Don't stop believing'," Elliot sang. "Hold on to that feelin'," she belted in response taking the lead on their little musical adventure.

"Streetlight, people…" they sang together until the song had faded out.

"Not bad," Elliot said with a laugh.

"We actually harmonize pretty well together," she said with a smile.

"I'm impressed, Detective Benson, I never knew you could sing."

"Why thank you, Detective Stabler, you did pretty good yourself."

They both laughed.

"Do you feel any better?"

"Actually, I do. I'm awake now and ready to face this day."

"That's good, because we will be there in a couple of hours."

Elliot studied Olivia for a moment as the new morning sunlight danced off her hair. Olivia looked over to catch him staring and laughed.

"You want me to find us another song?" he asked.

"No, I think that was a one time performance. Well, maybe not. But, I don't think I'm ready to tackle another one just yet."

"You know, we should try singing karaoke together sometime. I bet we would be good at it."

Olivia shot him a look of doubt.

"Elliot, singing along to the radio in the car and singing on your own in public are two completely different things."

"We wouldn't have to sing in public. They make machines that hook to your television, the kids have one and they have a lot of fun with it."

"I don't really have the time to sit at home alone singing to my TV, El. It would be fun for get-togethers though."

Elliot chuckled.

"I could see getting Munch and Fin and Cragen together for karaoke jams in your apartment."

Olivia smiled.

"That would be a sight. It would probably scare my neighbors."

Olivia leaned back and settled into her seat. She stared out the window as they shared random conversation for the rest of the trip.


	3. 3 Face Off

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Three: Face Off)_

A couple of hours later they met up with Porter and a few other guys at a cabin at the base of a mountain.

"From here we will have to go in on foot," Porter said to the group.

"Where exactly are we going?" Elliot asked.

"This guy knows the mountain like the back of his hand. He has camp areas and underground bunkers all over the place. We're gonna check out some of his old hiding places. We're gonna hike in and about six miles up ahead, some of my guys have already gone in on ATV's and set up our camp. Are we ready?"

"Yeah," Olivia said with a nod as Dean Porter made eye contact with her for the first time since they had arrived.

"You can leave your bags there in that trailer. They will bring them in when they bring the food for the evening. Everything will be delivered before we arrive at the site."

"So, why don't we get those cool four wheeler things?" Elliot asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Because, we don't want to disrupt any possible evidence or contaminate possible crime scenes. Do you get it now, Detective Stabler?"

"Hey," Olivia said stepping between the men and staring Porter down. "We are here to help. If you don't want us here, just say the word and we'd be glad to go."

"Of course I want you here."

"Then lets calm down and stick to business, alright? Shouldn't we be going?"

"Yes," Porter said staring Elliot down again.

Olivia looked back at Elliot.

"You ready?"

"Of course," he replied.

They spent the biggest part of the day hiking through woods and talking facts about the case. Elliot stuck as close to Olivia as he could in an attempt to ward off Porter and his advances. About three miles in, they found an underground bunker that appeared to have been slept in recently.

"How do we even know it was him who stayed here?" Elliot asked. "Anyone could have found this place, just the way that we did."

"Anyone isn't looking for a place to hide out with a small child. This place is familiar to him, he would have come back here."

"All I am saying is that without evidence to prove that it was our guy, nothing about this is going to stand up in court."

"Do you want to run this investigation, Detective Stabler?"

Elliot bit his tongue and held his composure.

"All he is saying is that we have to make sure we have enough to hold him this time. We need evidence. This bastard has gotten away with this before and we need to make sure he doesn't get away with it again. We're all on the same team here, Agent Porter."

"I can't help but wonder," he remarked looking at Elliot.

"What is your problem, man?" Elliot asked. "Do you not think that we had our own work to do back in New York? You asked for us to come here and we are here."

"I asked for her," he said pointing at Olivia. "I didn't ask for you."

"I must just be an added bonus," Elliot said with a smile.

"We don't exactly need your help here Detective Stabler. You are free to head back to New York whenever you'd like."

Elliot laughed.

"You think I'm just gonna pack up and head back, leaving my partner in the woods hundreds of miles away with a bunch of strange men? Over my dead body."

"Elliot," Olivia said getting his attention and breaking the standoff between the men, "can you look at this?"

Elliot walked over to where she was kneeling and studied the ground.

"Do you see that?" she asked.

"I sure do."

"Do the two of you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Porter asked from behind them being an ass.

"He was here," Olivia said. "With the girl."

"And how do you know that?"

Olivia reached forward with a plastic glove from her pocket and picked up a piece of material from the dirt floor.

"This ribbon was in Arianna's hair when she went missing. I'm betting the hair stuck in it is hers. Thee are also two sets of foot prints over here in the dirt. One adult size, large, probably from a man. And the other are much smaller."

"A child's size twelve."

"You can tell the show size by looking at the dirt?" Porter asked Elliot in his usual smart ass tone.

"Actually, I can. The number from the bottom of her shoe is printed in the dirt."

"Do you have the stuff to cast this?" Olivia asked in an attempt to ease the tension between the men.

"Yeah, we do."

"Good," she replied. "Let's get it done. We need pictures, too. This entire space. We need to get this processed, we're losing time."

"Relax," Porter said folding his arms and staring at her.

"This man is a pedophile and a murder. The longer he has this little girl in his possession, the longer he has to hurt or kill her. I won't relax."

"I will have a few of my guys process all of this. We should move on."

"Wait, at least one of us should see this through. What if something gets messed up? Or over looked?"

"These men have worked their share of crime scenes. They know how to bag a hair ribbon and take a few pictures. I need you with me incase we catch him and the girl is still alive. If this guy's been doing her, she isn't gonna come to one of us. We're gonna need a woman to reach out to her."

"Doing her? He is raping her, you asshole! This child is seven years old, not nearly old enough to give consent! And this man is a monster!"

Elliot watched as Olivia hit Porter in he chest pushing him out of her way and stormed outside.

"Way to go," Elliot said as Porter and his band of jerks laughed it off.

Elliot walked outside to find his partner.

"Liv, are you alright?"

"He is such a prick," she said through tears.

"He is. He is all head and no heart. He doesn't know how to work with victims and that is exactly why he is right."

"He is?" she asked looking up at him very confused as the new direction this conversation was taking.

"That is exactly why you should be there when they take this guy. That little girl is going to be horrified and she will probably have a fear of all men for a while. She is really going to need you."

"Elliot look around us. No one else cares about this case. No one else cares about the victim, about Arianna."

"Go with him."

"What? No. If we go with him and those men screw this up….you know how hard it is to prosecute these cases as it is. I don't want that little girl to have to go through anymore than she has to. I don't want to make this any harder on her, she deserves justice. They both do. Without enough evidence, that man will walk and she will never get that. Neither will any of the other little girls he has hurt in the past."

"Go with Porter. Go with him and find Arianna. I will stay here and do this. I'll make sure we get every shred of evidence to put this man behind bars for the rest of his life. We don't have time to lose and processing this properly could take hours. I'll meet back up with you at camp tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Porter and his crew are good, but they don't know how to work this kind of case. I'll supervise here and you run things on that end. Now let's bring Arianna home."

Olivia smiled.

"Thanks, El."

"Are we ready?" Porter asked looking at Olivia.

"I'm ready," she said walking past him without even looking at him.


	4. 4 Adventures In The Great Outdoors

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Four: Adventures In The Great Outdoors)_

Olivia spent the biggest part of the afternoon trying to ignore Dean Porter and all of his attempts to carry conversation with her. They searched for more clues as to the whereabouts of their perp, but found very little evidence that he had even brought the child in this direction.

"Maybe we lost him," one of Porter's men said as Olivia shot him a glare.

"We didn't lose him," she argued.

"He could have gone the other way," Porter said.

Olivia stood quiet for a moment and closed her eyes. She hadn't seen any sign of Arianna since they had left the bunker, but something inside her told her they were on the right path.

"No, he was here. She was here."

"We should turn back before we lose them for good," the man said to Agent Porter.

"If we turn back we will lose them!" Olivia snapped.

"How do you know where he took her?" the man said looking at Olivia.

"I can just tell. I can feel her."

The man laughed at her.

"Maybe he is right, Liv. We have seen no sign of the child….or anyone for that matter for the last couple of hours. Maybe we shouldn't have strayed from the main path."

"Why would he stay to a hiking path?" she asked looking at Porter. "His entire point is to keep her hidden, that is why he is using the underground bunkers. He is going out of his way to keep this little girl hidden, so why would he risk someone seeing them on a public path?"

"First of all, the park area has been closed for years. The path is no longer public. The only people who visit this area often are hunters and trappers. He could follow the path all over the mountain and run very little chance of anyone seeing them."

"But he knows that we are right behind him. And he knows this trail is the first place we will look. He isn't going to stick to the path."

"It's getting dark," Porter said.

"There is a clearing a little way up the path," one of the men said, "that is where camp will be for tonight. We can head back in the morning."

"I'm not going back," Olivia scoffed.

"We can talk about it more over dinner," Agent Porter suggested.

Later Olivia sat with the group around the campfire as one of the men brought out a box and sat it down.

"Dinner is served," he joked.

"What is that?" she asked Porter.

He picked up on of the packets from the box.

"M.R.E.'s," Elliot informed her.

Olivia looked confused.

"We had them in the military. It is dehydrated or freeze dried food in those packets. Everything you need is in the packet."

"How exactly do you cook it?"

"Well, you don't have to cook it. The food in these are made to be ready to eat without cooking or heating. You _can_ eat it that way."

"Or not," Olivia said looking at her beef stew packet.

"Or it comes with an M.R.E. heater. I'll show you. Open this little packet and there is a chemical reaction pouch inside."

Olivia watched and did exactly what Elliot did.

"Now, add the water that came in the kit. That is about an ounce of water, but make sure it doesn't go over the fill line. The water will react with the chemical pouch to create heat. Now take the food pouch and put it inside the heater pouch and fold over the top."

"Okay," she said intrigued by the contraption.

"Put it back into the cardboard part and set it aside. If you let it set for about ten minutes that water boils and heats the meal. Once you heat them up most of these meals aren't that bad."

"What is yours?"

"I have cheese tortellini with tomato sauce," Elliot said trying to make it sound like a gourmet meal.

Olivia laughed.

"Here," he said pouring hers out into a dish. "Be careful, they get pretty hot."

"That isn't bad," she said a bit surprised. "So this is what you lived off of while you were in the military?"

"Part of the time," Elliot laughed offering her a bite from his pouch.

"I'll have to admit I was a bit worried when he pulled these packets out of that box. I figured it would be all gross and nasty. But these really aren't that bad."

"Good," Porter said with a smile, "because this is what we are eating until we return to civilization."

"Oh yay," Olivia said sarcastically forcing a smile. "He talks like that could be years," she said swatting at yet another mosquito buzzing around her.

"The breakfast one's aren't bad either," Elliot said in an attempt to cheer her up. "Try to get either the biscuits and gravy or scrambled eggs and bacon. Those two are the best."

"Thanks for the tip, El."

After dinner Elliot helped Olivia carry her things to her tent.

"Here's a can of insect repellant if you need it."

"Thanks," she said turning it to read the back.

"This is the last of your bags. And your sleeping bag. I hope you brought warm pajamas."

"It is the beginning of September, El. And it is supposed to be hot all week."

"During the day, yes. But we are half way up a mountain. It is liable to get cold at night."

"It's after eight and it isn't that bad. A bit cloudy, but not too cold. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Alright. Well, I am right over here if you want to borrow a sweatshirt or need anything."

"Thank you. But….you don't have to baby me, you know?"

"I'm not trying to baby you."

"All of this extra attention wouldn't have anything to do with Dean Porter being here, would it?"

"I am trying to help my partner out. That has nothing to do with Porter. I want to make sure that you have everything you need. And I want you to know that I have your back."

"I know you do, I just don't want you to think that you need to be all defensive of me because Porter is here. I have dealt with him enough today to know for sure that _nothing_ is _ever_ happening between us again."

"Well, that is good to know," Elliot joked. "You know, Liv, the guy is a real asshole."

"I have noticed."

"No, I mean he has really been a jerk to you the entire time we have been here."

Olivia raised her dark eyes to stare at him.

"If you want me to kick his ass for you, I will."

Olivia smiled and tried not to laugh.

"Elliot!"

"Look, I know part of it is just that he was born a prick. But he could tame it down a bit when there is a lady present. I don't like the way he is treating you and I am this close," he said holding up his fingers to demonstrate his lack of tolerance, "to showing him exactly what I think of him."

"You don't have to go all big brother on him. I am perfectly capable of…."

"Taking care of yourself. I know"

"I was gonna say kicking his ass."

"I have seen you kick ass. He doesn't want any part of that."

Olivia laughed.

"I know you can handle it. I just want you to know that I will, if you ever want me to say something….or do something….some guys understand the message a little clearer when it comes…."

"From the fist of another man?" she asked.

"Exactly."

"Well, thank you. But I really don't think it is necessary. He is just insecure and jealous and he doesn't know how to handle it."

"Insecure and jealous? What did seeing you again remind him of how small his dick is?"

"Elliot," she laughed giving him a playful shove. "No, I think seeing you and I here together has him wondering if there is anything going on between us."

"And he realizes how badly he screwed up when he let you go."

"Maybe."

"But like you said in the car on the way here, there could be a chance you guys could reconcile."

"You don't have to worry about that. I forgot how big a jerk he can be."

"Liv, a lot of the guys you date are jerks. But you don't think that when you're dating them."

"I would argue that point, but I know it is more true than I would like to admit. I have bad taste in men. I'm serious, though. I don't know what I ever saw in him in the first place. He can be a real jerk, sometimes."

"And other times?"

"I don't know. But trust me, it isn't going to happen."

"Honestly, it isn't even him I worry about. But these other guys and the way they look at you…."

Olivia smiled.

"Aww, are you being a bit defensive? I can look out for myself, El. I am a grown woman."

"Alright, point taken. I'll back off and let you handle things from now on."

"Well, it is almost ten. I think I'm gonna go on to bed. We have to get up early and they still plan on turning back."

"You don't?"

"No. I'm moving forward. I know he took her this way. I can just feel it."

"Did you talk to Porter about this?"

"Yes, and he and the rest of his men took a vote. They all decided to go back."

"Does he know you don't plan to go?"

"By now he should know me well enough to know I'm not changing my mind just to please the crowd. But I guess he will figure it out when I don't go with him."

"You want some company?"

"You really want to go? Or you just don't want me going alone?"

"A little of both I guess. We have worked together long enough that I have learned to trust your feelings. They rarely ever steer us wrong."

"And if I'm wrong now?"

"Then Porter and his men are going the other way. What have we got to lose?"

"The life of a seven year old girl," she said softly.

"I'll tell you what….sleep on it. Get some rest tonight and in the morning if you still feel like this is the way to go, then we'll go. And I don't care who follows."

"Okay," she said with a nod. "But you know Cragen wants us to follow along with Porter and his men. You are liable to be getting yourself into trouble if you go along with me."

"When has that ever stopped me?"

Olivia smiled.

"Liv, I trust you. I don't even like him. Let Porter and his men chase their tails, as long as you and I know what we're doing, that is all that matters."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Don't be so uncertain of yourself."

"Good night, El."

"Good night, Olivia."

Olivia crawled into her tent and was asleep within minutes. Later that night something felt strange. Olivia opened her eyes to realize they were now in the middle of a thunder storm and her tent was leaking water.

"Great," she growled as she attempted to find a dry place to sleep, but everything was wet.

She stood up and began to shift things around realizing that the entire floor of the tent was now a standing puddle of water and her air mattress had a hole in it.

"Oh come on! I just want to go home," she said resisting the urge to cry.

She picked up her bag as a crash of thunder boomed and the heavy rain poured down on the little tent. Just then the tent collapsed, caving in on top of her. Olivia screamed as she crawled around in the dark in search of a way out.

"Liv?" Elliot called out as he came running to see what was the matter.

He climbed from his tent just in time to see his drenched partner emerge from the remains of hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm wet, I'm cold, I and covered in bug bites and I am miserable! I hate camping and I just want to go home," she whimpered staring at him, trying not cry and very much resembling a drown rat.

"Come on," Elliot said taking her by the hand and leading her back to his tent.

"I'd rather sleep in the damn car," she growled.

"Liv, the car is about six miles down the side of the mountain. It is dark and raining outside. Come in here and I'll find you something dry to sleep in."

Olivia stepped inside Elliot's tent as he zipped it shut.

"My tent leaks," she said softly and he could see she was quite traumatized by her first camping experience.

"Mine doesn't," Elliot replied. "You can sleep in here tonight. Tomorrow I will see what I can do to try and fix yours."

She watched with her bottom lip trembling as Elliot unzipped his bag pulling out a sweat shirt and sweat pants.

"Here," he said handing them to her. "I can turn around to give you a little privacy," he said facing the other side of the tent.

Olivia exhaled softly and pulled her damp shirt over her head. She pulled on Elliot's NYPD sweatshirt, then stepped out of her wet pajama bottoms.

"Okay," she said as she tied the string on the sweat pants to hold them up.

"Better?" he asked tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and handing her a towel.

"Yes."

"That must have been a bit traumatizing. What exactly happened?"

"I'm not sure. I woke up wet. And when I tried to get out the entire tent just fell in. Is it supposed to storm all night?"

"I don't really know. But it is dry in here. And I have an extra blanket," he said patting the air mattress beside him. "We should try to get a little sleep."

Olivia nodded and laid down on the air mattress.

"Thanks El," she said as she settled into the only pillow on the bed.

"You're welcome. I told you, I've got your back."

She watched and yawned as Elliot smiled at her.

"What?" she asked.

Elliot smiled again.

"You have freckles on your nose," he said staring into her eyes. "All of these years working together, I don't know how I never noticed that until now."

"Because they are hideous and I usually have them covered with make up. Makeup that is now floating in the small pond that used to be my tent."

Elliot laughed and smiled at her as he pulled the blanket up around her.

"They aren't that bad," he said running his finger over the bridge of her nose. "Actually, they are kind of cute."

"Cute? I'm not a five year old," she said shifting under her blanket.

"Does Porter know you have freckles on your nose?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I hate them, El. I probably had them covered the entire time we were dating."

"Still. When you date someone, you should notice these things. You spent nights together and woke up beside each other in the morning. He should have noticed."

"Maybe he did, I don't know."

"There are a lot of things he doesn't notice," Elliot replied.

He watched as Olivia closed her heavy eyes.

"I'll bet he doesn't even know what color your eyes are," Elliot said softly as he watched her sleep.


	5. 5 What Goes Around, Comes Around

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Five: What Goes Around, Comes Around.)_

Dean Porter moved swiftly around the campsite, but there was no sign of Olivia. He called out for her, but she didn't answer. Finally he made his way to Detective Stabler's tent to let him know his partner could not be found.

"Stabler," he said for the fourth time shaking the tent, but no one answered. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked himself as he unzipped the door to Elliot's tent to wake him. "I hope you're decent," he said as he pushed back the flap of canvas, stepping inside and stared at the pile of blankets in front of him.

Porter stood there staring, unable to move. His eyes quickly scanned over the scene, noticing her clothing scattered in the floor beside the airbed. On top of the duffel bag to the left of the door laid her white lace bra.

Olivia moaned softly and stirred moving the blanket back from her face. That was when he realized exactly what had happened the night before. Sometime during the storm she had turned to him. She came to him in the night and now here she was, wearing his clothes and curled up in his arms.

Porter stood there for the first time feeling the loss of her. Watching her sleeping safe and sound in another man's arms. Seeing the woman that should have been his with someone else. It burned. She wasn't just with another man, she was with Elliot Stabler. And her clothing scattered around the tent made it more than obvious the events that had taken place the night before.

He growled as he stormed off into the woods to be alone for a while. Elliot heard the noise and raised up from under the blankets.

"What's wrong?" Olivia said softly.

He smiled and looked down at her still laying there beside him.

"I think we got caught," he said pointing to the open door of the tent.

"Caught doing what? We didn't do anything. Not that it is anyone's business."

Elliot smiled again trying not to laugh.

"Still, you have to admit it is a little funny. If he wasn't jealous before, he is definitely jealous now. Jerk! That is what he gets for cheating on you."

Olivia laughed.

"You don't honestly think that he thinks we slept together last night."

"We did sleep together last night."

"You know what I mean," she said with a smile. "Do you think he thinks we had sex last night."

"Well, he walked in here and we were under the blankets together and you are wearing my clothes. What would you think?" he asked holding up her bra.

Olivia laughed and jerked it away from Elliot.

"It was soaked and it is the only one that wasn't floating in the tent. I laid it out so it would dry."

"You don't want to salvage any kind of romantic relationship with this guy, right?"

"No, I don't."

"Then why should you care what he thinks?"

She stared at him for a moment thinking about what he was saying.

"Look, Liv, you and I both know that there was nothing inappropriate about anything that happened last night. You and I are more like brother and sister."

"It would be like having sex with your sister? Am I that bad? That the mere thought of me in a sexual sense repulses you so badly?"

"No," Elliot laughed. "I just mean it would be strange. We have known each other forever."

"Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you…." Elliot raised his head to stare into her eyes as she spoke, "but Porter had sex with your sister."

Elliot laughed.

"That is why I don't like the guy. He was with you and now he is a complete jerk to you. What were you thinking?"

Olivia laughed.

"I have no idea. I guess it was just nice to get a little male attention. You are just over protective."

"I am a little defensive. See, you're like my sister. We're family. He fu…" Elliot paused for a moment and scratched the back of his head, "messes with you and he messes with me. The only reason I have not knocked the man out is because I am trying to be respectful of you."

"You have always been respectful of me and I appreciate that. But I am gonna be fine. I am a big girl and I can handle these things. Even a dick like Porter. I do have to admit though that I also find it kind of humorous that he honestly thinks that I shot him down, then climbed in bed with you."

"Shot him down?"

"Yeah, well, he spent a large part of yesterday dropping hints and trying to convince me that we should give it another shot."

"And you shot him down."

"More like ignored him completely."

Elliot laughed.

"No wonder he is so pissed off now. He probably thinks you ignored him because you and I had a thing going on."

"I honestly don't care what he thinks."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Cause it might teach him a lesson to let him just stew in it for a while."

"What are you talking about?"

"If we just don't say anything at all about it and just let him think he knows what is going on. He is wrong, of course, but he doesn't know what. Maybe he will think twice before he treats another woman the way he treated you."

"Elliot, I know you better than to think you just want to do this to make him learn to treat women better."

"And I just think it is funny that he is jealous as hell right now about something that never even happened. Come on, Liv, it is funny."

"It is lying."

"It isn't lying. Telling him that it did infact happen, that would be lying. We would just not be talking about it at all. It isn't quite the same thing."

"You are so bad."

"You get dressed. I am gonna go check out your tent and see if anything can be salvaged."

"It shouldn't be hard to find. Mine would be the flat one across the way."

Elliot laughed.

"I'll see if I can fix it."

"Thanks, El. Meanwhile, do you mind if I borrow a shirt?" she asked holding up one of his tee shirts. "My jeans are dry, but the rest of my clothes got soaked. They're still in the tent."

"No problem. I'll see you at breakfast."

Twenty minutes later Olivia joined Elliot at the scene of the disaster.

"Can you tell what happened?" she asked.

"One of the poles broke," he said holding up two pieces of the main support. "Probably because of the winds from the storm."

"Can it be fixed?"

"We could tape it or tie it together, but I don't think it is gonna be able to hold up the full weight of the canvas. It will probably just end up falling on you again."

"Wonderful," she groaned.

"Let's get your things together and you will just have to stay with me until this is over," Elliot said holding up the roof of the tent so that she could step inside and pull her things out.

"Even the air mattress is flat now. I suck at camping."

"It isn't you," he said. "These things happen in the outdoors. Storms come up and strong winds could break anyone's tent poles."

"And the air mattress?"

"There is probably just a rock or something underneath. It got a hole in it. Come on, don't cut down camping because of one bad experience."

"It was a full day of bad experiences, Elliot. My idea of camping is a facial and a full body massage, spending the day wrapped up in a bath robe at the Four Seasons and ordering room service. A warm bed with soft fluffy blankets and indoor pluming. Shit, any kind of pluming."

Elliot smiled.

"You are definitely a city girl. But camping can be a lot more fun when it is for pleasure and not business."

"How often do you go camping?"

"I used to take the kids every summer. And Dickie and I go every year with his scout troop. You should go sometime."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" she asked swatting at a bug as it flew around her face.

"No."

"So you're asking me out?" she joked with a smile.

"I was just thinking, sometime when I take the kids we could pick up an extra tent and you could go with us. I could show you some fun things to do on a camping trip and the kids would have a blast."

"I don't know El, that is like asking someone to revisit Hell after they have escaped."

Elliot laughed.

"I'll make you a deal. If you go with me and the kids on a camping trip and you don't enjoy yourself I will do all of your paperwork for a month."

"What?"

"I will even pick a camp ground with a shower house and running water."

"Why do you care if I hate camping?"

"Because, it can actually be fun. An you never do anything but work. It would be good for you to get away for a weekend or a few days and be able to enjoy yourself."

"I have to go a whole weekend?"

"I'll tell you what, you go with me and if at any time you decide you have had enough, say the word and I will take you home."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," he agreed handing her a biscuit and gravy M.R.E.

"What do you have?" she asked trying to sneak a peek at the label on his breakfast packet.

"The scrambled eggs and bacon. We can share if you want."

"Aww, you'd share your breakfast with me?"

"Why not? I share everything else with you," he said tugging on the sleeve of her tee shirt.

Olivia laughed as she looked up to see Porter come walking out of the woods shooting her a glare.

"Guess who's back," she said trying not to make eye contact with him.

"Oh yeah," Elliot said sarcastically.

"I hope everyone slept well last night," Porter said looking over at Elliot and Olivia, "we have a lot of ground to cover today and we are all going to need our energy."

"I have plenty of energy," Elliot injected, "even though I was up most of the night. How about you, Liv?"

Olivia rolled her eyes to give Elliot an annoyed look while trying hard not to laugh at his attempt at making Porter even more jealous.

"Once I finally fell asleep, I slept like a baby."

"Finish up your breakfast and get packed up! We move out in an hour," Porter snapped.

After they had finished eating Elliot followed Olivia over to the wet pile of canvas that had once been her tent. He examined the mess and tried to determine the extent of the damage.

"Well, the main support pole was snapped like a twig."

"I had a feeling that was what happened when the whole thing came crashing down on my head. Can it be fixed?"

"It probably could, but I'm not sure it would be worth it."

"Why do you say that?"

Elliot held up the canvas shell of the tent to show her a large hole that had been ripped by the broken pole.

"The entire side of my tent is ripped out! This is just perfect!"

"I'll hold the roof up and you go inside and grab your things. You can just crash with me for the rest of the trip."

"Are you serious?"

"Why not? You slept in my tent last night."

Olivia stopped to think about it for a moment. He had a point. Yet, even though is seemed alright, something inside of her couldn't shake the feeling that it just wasn't right for the two of them to be sharing a bed together.

"And maybe I shouldn't have," she said unsure of what else to say.

"What, you mean because of Porter?"

"No, I just think maybe it isn't appropriate for us to be sleeping in the same bed together, that's all."

"Are you afraid you'll try to jump me in the dark?" Elliot joked.

"_Very_ funny."

"I will behave myself. I always do."

"I know you do," she said picking up her wet clothes and stuffing them into her duffel bag. "I just don't think that….I mean, everyone already thinks we're screwing around together. You heard Fin."

"Liv, don't worry about what everybody else thinks. People can't always get it through their heads that a man and a woman can be friends….close friends….best friends, without having a sexual relationship. Maybe that is true with other people, I don't know. But you and I are not like all of those other people. We're family. And if you think for a second I am going to let you sleep out on the ground, you are nuts! You can sleep on the air mattress, I'll take the floor."

"El, the floor…._is_ the ground."

"So it is." He thought for a moment. "Would you settle for your own blanket?"

Olivia smiled.

"Of course."

"And maybe this time you should keep your underwear on."

Olivia laughed.

"Oh, I will."

"Then I will gladly scoot over and share the bed with you. But you have to promise you're not gonna put the moves on me."

"I don't know El, I may not be able to control myself," she said as she rolled her eyes playing along.

"Hey, you have already demonstrated your poor sense of self control," he said nodding in Porter's direction.

"No, that was my poor sense of judgment."

"But you leaned from it and now you know better. That is the important part. And that blind moron didn't see the best thing that had ever happened to him when you were standing right in front of him. His loss."

Olivia smiled.

"Thanks, El. I can always count on you for a pep talk when I'm feeling down."

"Well, I am your best friend it comes with the job. And it could have something to do with all the steamy hot sex we apparently had last night."

She laughed.

"Oh yeah, was it good for you?"

"So good, I passed out and don't remember a minute of it."

"We'd better get going. I don't want to get too far behind this guy."

"You still planning to venture off on your own?"

"If Porter is still planning to follow the path, I am."

"He's gonna love that."

"I don't care. Everything inside of me is telling me that I am right about this."

"We could split up," he suggested. "You and I go your way and Porter and his men go….where ever. Then we could cut back around and meet back up with them tomorrow evening for camp. That would give us enough time to check the area out and see if there are any signs of the perp or the girl. If not, we'll go back to his plan. We can't be too careful here. There is a child at stake."

"Do you think he'll go for it?"

"If not, I'll carry the damn tent. It rolls up and fits into a bag and the air mattress deflates. It will slow us down a bit, but it can be done. We can leave everything we don't need for tonight here and they can move it on to Porter's camp. Pack up the tent and a couple of blankets and some food for the night and we're on our way."

"You really have it all planned out. I was just gonna wing it."

"If we wing it, we will be sleeping outside on the ground."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather play nice with the other kids? It isn't always fun being the black sheep, you know?"

"I go where you go, remember."

"I guess we'd better go over there and tell him then," she said looking over at Dean Porter as he glared in their direction.

"Here goes his good mood," Elliot joked as they headed over to the group to make their announcement.


	6. 6 Nothing

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Six: Nothing)_

Olivia looked over her shoulder in the dark to make sure she wasn't followed. When she was sure the cost was clear she stepped out of her jeans and pulled her shirt over her head. She unclasped her bra and dropped her panties on top of the pile of her clothing as she made her way into the water.

She moved out until the cool dark water was almost shoulder deep, then she leaned back to wet her long hair. She swam around alone in the shadows of the night trying to relax away the stress of the long day. It had been days since they had began this journey to find one small child and after reaching the top of the mountain, they had realized that finding the man who took her was going to be a lot more difficult that they had bargained for.

To make matters worse, Porter and his team were now beginning to blame Olivia for their not reaching the child before the man had disappeared with her. Now as they rested before making their decent down the other side of the mountain she could hear the whispers and feel the blame in the stares she got from the men around her. All of the men, except for Elliot.

She exhaled and held her breath as she dropped down under the water, combing her fingers through her hair. This was the closest she had come to a hot bath since they had set out on this little camping adventure. Olivia came up from under the water and wiped her face off with her hand. She turned and looked over her shoulder at the bank behind her as she heard a noise.

"Who's there?" she called out through the night.

She shivered a bit as a cool wind began to blow through the trees. She surveyed the bank opposite her where the sound had come from.

"Hello?" she called again as she stood up from the water.

"Whoa," Elliot called as she covered her chest and turned to look at him.

"Elliot! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could as you the same thing. I woke up and you were just gone."

"I was tired of stinking. I thought I would take a quick dip before I went to bed. I thought everyone else was asleep. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just impossible to find a moment alone out here."

She watched him for a moment as Elliot pulled his shirt over his head and unbuckled his belt.

"What are you doing?"

"I stink, too. I'm coming in."

"Wait, El, I'm not dressed!"

"A bra and underwear is like a bathing suit, Liv. If it makes you that self conscious, I wont look. I promise," he said stepping out of his jeans as he walked to the waters edge wearing only his boxers.

"No!" she gasped in panic. "Elliot, I'm not dressed! At all!"

"You mean you're…." he paused for a moment as he looked down at her pile of clothes between his feet.

"Naked," she explained slumping lower into the water to cover herself. "Can you just bring me my clothes?"

"You want me to bring them in there? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of taking them off in the first place?"

"El, please? Just the underwear. I'll get the rest when I get out."

"Alright," he agreed picking up her undergarments as he made his way into the water.

Elliot moved out near where she stood. He tossed her the panties and laughed as she struggled to put them on without falling under the water.

"Don't laugh," she said splashing water at him.

"I can't help it," he said tossing her the black bra.

They both laughed as Olivia turned her back to him to put it on. Elliot couldn't help but stare at the shape of her in the moonlight. He studied the profile of her face and the bridge of her nose. His eyes scanned down her neck and shoulders resting for a moment on the soft curve of her breast as she covered it with the bra and clasped it behind her.

Elliot swam around a bit, then laid back to tread water as he stared up at the night sky.

"You never see this many stars in the sky back home," he said as Olivia ducked under the water to swim to where he was.

"You're right," she said as she surfaced beside him. "It is so beautiful out here. Peaceful."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. What do you mean?"

"I mean with Porter and his team of jerks saying the things they have been saying."

"I know what they are saying, Elliot." She paused for a moment, then looked back at him. "Do you believe them?"

"Believe what?"

"That it's my fault. That he got away with her because I slowed everyone down."

"Of course I don't believe that. Liv, you can't believe everything that everyone else says."

"I know that. But what if we don't find her in time?"

"We just have to keep looking."

"What if he made it to the other side?" she asked standing again to look at the bank across from them.

"You think he crossed with her?"

"If he did…."

"Then we are searching the wrong side of the river."

"But they are never going to listen to me now."

"We'll make them listen."

Olivia exhaled and fell back into the water once more. She sighed and floated around as they heard a noise in the woods off the bank.

"Did you hear that?" she asked standing back up.

"I heard it," Elliot said standing and instinctively reaching for his gun.

He shook his head and returned his focus to the bank when he realized that he had left his weapon on the bank with his pants.

"Who's out there?" he asked, but no one answered.

"Who do you think it is?" Olivia asked softly.

"I don't know," he whispered. "But I have to get back to the bank, my gun's there. You stay here."

"El?"

He raised his finger to his mouth and motioned for her to keep quiet.

"Wait right here," he whispered as he moved closer to the bank. "Who's there?" he asked again getting close enough to realize that his gun was now gone.

Elliot turned to look back at Olivia.

"Somebody is fucking with us and they are about to get their ass kicked," he said aloud as Dean Porter stepped out from behind the trees.

"Shit, you scared the hell out of me!" Olivia said as she began to make her way toward the bank.

"You should never leave your weapon unattended, Detective Stabler," Porter said dropping the gun back onto Elliot's pile of clothing.

"I was ten feet away," Elliot argued stepping in front of Olivia to keep Porter from seeing her. "Can you toss me her shirt?"

Dean smiled as he picked up Olivia's tee shirt and held it for a moment.

"You two love birds were so busy playing in the water naked, that I came all the way up here and took the gun without you even noticing."

"Dean, don't be a prick," Olivia said with a scolding glare. "Just throw me the shirt."

"Why sugar plum? There ain't nothing in there that I haven't seen before."

"She asked you for her shirt," Elliot repeated. "Now are you going to give it to her or do I need to come out there and get it?"

"Do you really think that I am threatened by you?" Porter asked throwing Olivia's shirt into the water out to the side from where they were so that she had to come out from behind Elliot to get it.

"You're jealous. I get that," Elliot said stepping up from the water. "So if you want to be a prick to me go right ahead. But she has never done anything to deserve being treated this way."

"Why in the hell would I be jealous of you? Because you are getting what I have already had?"

Olivia stared at the ground as she buttoned her jeans and couldn't help but feel cheap.

"Aww, how romantic," Porter taunted, "sticking up for the woman you love."

"You need to shut the hell up, because you obviously do not have any idea what you are talking about."

"You're fucking her. It is obvious to everyone who sees the two of you together. You're Mr. Right Now and in a week she will move on to some other unsuspecting fool. That's her M.O. Love 'em and leave 'em, ain't that right baby doll?"

Olivia shook her head and turned to walk off.

"Why don't you just shut your mouth?" Elliot asked shoving Porter out of his way as he followed close behind his partner.

"Are you alright?" Elliot asked zipping up the tent behind them.

"I'm fine. He's just a jerk. I know that."

"He is childish. And he doesn't have to treat you like that," Elliot replied turning around stare at the canvas wall on his side of the bed so that she could change out of her wet clothes.

"I just cannot wait to find Arianna so we can go home. I hate camping and I hate being stuck out here with Dean Porter and his jerk friends. I just want to go home. I want to take a hot shower and sleep in my own bed."

"And eat real food?" Elliot laughed.

"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "That will be nice, too."

"Tell you what, when we get back to Manhattan I will buy you a nice big steak, a baked potato and all of the trimmings."

"How about a greasy cheese burger and fries?"

"Alright," Elliot laughed, "cheeseburger and fries it is. Now we should try to get some sleep. Hopefully we will find her and this will all be over soon," he said as he sat on the edge of the air mattress beside her.

"It just gets old, you know? I mean it's like high school. People assume that just because you are a man and I'm a woman that there must be something sexual between us. Like there is some law that we are unaware of that says that members of the opposite sex can't be good friends or work together, they must be having sex. I mean, we're not even attracted to each other."

"No," Elliot agreed staring into her eyes.

"I mean, I never really took the time to think about it. But if there was an attraction here, we would know it by now. Right?"

"Right."

Olivia stared into the calm blue of his eyes.

"And….and if there was any kind of sexual attraction it would make this arrangement extremely awkward and," she exhaled and bit her bottom lip in pause, "I mean, we would know it if we have _those_ kind of feelings for each other."

"True," Elliot said staring so deep into her pretty brown eyes that he was unable to even blink. "We would have felt something by now."

"And we definitely wouldn't be able to sleep together in the same bed."

"Probably not," he said thinking back to each night that she had somehow ended up curled tightly in his arms. "Sleeping together would be strange. In the same bed, I mean. If there were something between us."

"We wouldn't be able to be this close," she said softly leaning closer to him without even realizing it. "Elliot," she whispered as she blinked and stared at him, "how do we know for sure that there is nothing there? If there is, we should know."

"We should."

"We could find out for sure and put an end to this once and for all."

Elliot nodded.

Olivia sat up straight and looked around them for a moment as if checking to see if anyone was watching them. She looked back at Elliot and tipped her head to stare into his eyes.

Elliot watched her closely for a moment as he pondered only a single thought in his head. What he was about to do could change their friendship forever. He stared at the small group of freckles scattered across her nose as she smiled a warm smile. This is it, he thought as he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

Olivia had an idea it was coming, but the kiss still somehow took her by surprise. At first she instinctively resisted stiffening her body in defense, before finally closing her eyes and giving in. She felt her mouth move against his and her lips part to welcome his tongue. She leaned forward a bit more and raised her fingertips to touch his cheek as Eliot cradled the side of her face in his palm.

Suddenly she heard a soft smacking sound as their mouths pulled away from each other. Olivia sat there for a moment, her eyes still closed as she thought about what had just happened. Elliot watched as she slowly began to shake her head. He stared at her as her brown eyes opened once more.

"See nothing," she said softly as her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

"Nothing," Elliot repeated.

"Like kissing your sister, right?"

"Right," he answered leaning forward and pressing his mouth to hers again.

Olivia stared at him as the second kiss broke.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just making sure," he replied still unable to pull his eyes from hers.

"Still nothing," she whispered.

Olivia drew a deep breath and raised her fingers to touch his rough whisker covered face. She blinked as she leaned forward tipping her head just right and kissed him again. This time the kiss was much deeper and longer. Elliot raised his hands and placed one on each side of her face.

"We should probably get some sleep," Elliot said as the kiss broke.

"Sleep," Olivia giggled softly as a sort of drunken haze fell over her.

She smiled and stared at him with the most beautiful pair of big brown eyes he had ever seen.

"Yeah sleep," Elliot replied with a crooked smile as he leaned forward to kiss her once more, this time laying her all the way back against the air mattress.


	7. 7 Confessions

_**Author's Note:**__** Sorry it has been so long and this is so short. I have been super busy with school and work and I have been sick and fighting writer's block. I will make the next chapter longer, but I wanted to get something posted for you guys tonight, as it has been 12 DAYS! LOL. You all have slc2599, ElandLiv12123 and HameronHuddy414 to thank for this extra fluffy chapter! Hope you all enjoy this! Please remember to read and review! Love you guys!**_

_**~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~**_

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Seven: Confessions)_

Olivia kissed a trail of baby kisses across his chest as Elliot smoothed his fingertips across the bare skin of her back. Elliot laughed as the warmth of her breath hit a tender spot and tickled him.

Olivia smiled and stared into his eyes.

"You are so beautiful," Elliot whispered as he kissed her tenderly.

Olivia moaned softly and smiled as she rolled onto her back and settled in against him.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Elliot whispered as he kissed the side of her head.

"I'm still having a little trouble believing this is real," she said softly as she smiled at him again.

"It's real. It's real and I'm real and you are real. We are real, Liv. Everything we have been holding back and fighting off for years, it is all real."

"We're real," she repeated.

Elliot stared into her eyes as he combed his fingers through her hair.

"I love you Elliot," she declared as tears filled her soft brown eyes. "I have for so long and I was afraid to say it. Afraid you wouldn't feel it too."

"But I do," he replied brushing a single tear from her cheek as he kissed her lips. "I love you too, Olivia. I have loved you from the first moment I met you. But I wasn't allowed to say it. I wasn't allowed to feel it. I knew from that first moment what this feeling was and I denied it all of these years. Because of work and because of my marriage, because I was afraid that admitting it out loud would scare you off or drive you away."

"Loving you doesn't scare me. It is probably the only thing in the world that doesn't. For as long as I can remember no thought or feeling has ever been as clear as this. I have never felt this way before."

"Not with Porter?"

"Not with anyone," she said as she shook her head. "Only you. I guess maybe that is what made it so hard to say. I wasn't afraid of the love, but of the possibility of rejection. The chance that you didn't love me the way that I loved you. That you loved me only the way that we have loved each other all of these years. But this is so much more than that."

"I know that. You are not the only one who has been searching for this, you know."

Olivia smiled.

"No?"

"No. While you were looking for love in all of the wrong places, I spent nearly twenty years married to the wrong woman."

"But you loved her….?"

"I did. But not the same way that I love you."

Olivia smiled again.

"So, what does this mean, El?" she asked as she rolled onto her side and smoothed her hand over his chest. "What do you want?"

"I want you."

She laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"I want to be with you. What do you want?"

"I think that sounds pretty amazing."

"Yeah? So do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Maybe," she said with a big smile. "But what about work?"

"I don't really care about that right now. Besides, I think that once everyone sees how happy we are as a couple, they will come around."

"It's a big step. And a pretty big risk."

"You are worth the risk. You are a part of me, Olivia. You are a part of who I am. And I think it is about time that we give you and I a real try. Liv, I love you and I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you, too."

Elliot pulled her in against him and hugged her tight. Olivia smiled as she found herself wrapped safely in his loving arms.

"This is nice," she whispered softly as she kissed his lips.

"Yes, it is."

"So we are really a couple?"

"Yes, we are."

"My boyfriend is amazing," she said with a playful laugh as she kissed him once more.

"Well, my girlfriend is the most wonderful person I have ever met. Smart and sexy and beautiful with a heart of gold. I love you with all of my heart and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for you."

"I love you too," she said as Elliot kissed her passionately. "I know something you can do for me," she laughed playfully as she pulled him over onto her.

"Liv, it is almost three o'clock in the morning."

"Yeah?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah. And you know that Porter is going to have us up and going again at the crack of dawn."

"Elliot! We have officially been dating all of four minutes and you are already turning down sex?"

"Never. I was simply trying to say that when we finish making love, we should probably get some rest."

Olivia laughed again.

"Good answer," she said kissing him as Elliot pulled the blanket over their heads.


	8. 8 Soft And Sweet

_**Author's Note:**__** I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have had a lot going on in my personal life. I had finals week, then graduation and have also been super busy with work. This is an extra long chapter and took me many days of working on it to finally get it finished. Hope you all enjoy it! I will try to get more updates out soon, but please be patient. Unfortunately, I do not always have the extra time to work on updates as often as I would like. Sometimes life gets in the way of the hobby and it takes me a little while to get an update completed. Thanks for checking it out! Please remember to review!**_

_**~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~**_

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Eight: Soft And Sweet)_

"This crap is worse than that thick gunk Munch tries to pass off as coffee," Elliot said pouring out the brew as Olivia yawned. "I can't even begin to imagine how they make instant coffee anyway," he growled.

"It is freeze dried. That way you just have to add hot water," she replied scratching her head.

"It wasn't an actual question," Elliot remarked forcing a smile.

"Oh," she said making an awful face as she gulped the last bit of black liquid from her cup.

"I can't believe you actually drank that. I'd rather drink motor oil."

Olivia smiled.

"Well, I am exhausted. And motor oil doesn't have the caffeine I'm gonna need to drag my ass through this day."

"I told you you'd be tired today."

"And you're not?" she asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well, somebody kept me up all night."

Olivia laughed.

"Are you complaining, Detective Stabler?"

"Not at all, Detective Benson!" he laughed.

"Good!" she said with a playful smile as she zipped up her bag and prepared to start her day. "I may have persuaded you a bit, but you stayed up all by yourself!"

"Evil," he taunted pointing at her as he yawned. "Evil, woman! Evil, but beautiful woman!"

Olivia smiled again as they followed the rest of the group.

It was about noon when Olivia stopped to tie her shoe. When she looked back up she realized she was alone in the woods.

"Great!" she said as she kicked a pile of leaves.

She turned looking in every direction, but saw no sign of her group. She looked up at the sky and raised her arm to cover the glare from the sun.

"Okay, I can do this," she said aloud to herself as she looked around her once more. "We were headed west. So I'll just keep going west," she said pulling her cell phone from her pocket and checking for a signal. "Oh, of course I don't have service! They don't have cell phone towers in BFE!" she growled.

Olivia dropped the phone back into her pocket and walked a few steps ahead.

"No," she said raising her finger and pointing to her left, "this is west."

She walked for a few minutes before getting the feeling she was being watched.

"Elliot?" she asked turning to look behind her, but there was no one there. "What the fu…" she mumbled as she heard a stick break behind her. "El?" she asked again. But there was no sign of anyone for as far as she could see in any direction. "Elliot, this isn't funny! Really, you are just pissing me off!"

Suddenly the woods were still and an eerie silence fell around her. She felt her hand slip down instinctively and unsnap the holster that contained her weapon. She paused for a moment as her fingertips danced impatiently over the cold steel as if awaiting the return of a long lost friend. She had been a cop so long now, that the decision to draw her weapon was second nature to her, a sort of sixth sense and took almost no conscious thought at all.

"Hello?" she called out as an icy wind began to blow and a strange sound caught her attention.

Olivia tipped her head and attempted to follow the sound. She walked for several minutes, through piles of dried leaves and over the large remains of fallen trees. The wind began to howl and she shivered for a moment as she untied the hooded sweatshirt from around her waist and slipped into it. She stood for a moment to zip it up as she heard the sound again.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest so fast she thought it would explode. Every hair on her body was standing on end and everything inside of her was telling her something just wasn't right. She reached out, breaking a stick from a downed branch, then twisted her long dark hair up and used the stick to hold it the way she had done with her pen at work a thousand times.

Olivia listened carefully at full attention waiting to hear the sound once more so that she could investigate. She closed her eyes and held her hands out to her sides as she drew a deep breath. She tried to think of the little girl in the photograph on the case file and remember every detail of the child's face.

She exhaled heavily and took in another deep breath noting all of the smells of the forest around her. She could smell the pine needles and the dirt of the forest floor. Up ahead she could smell the water from one of the streams. But in all of this there was one smell that didn't quite belong. It was soft and sweet and lingered so lightly in the air that it had taken her undivided attention to even realize it had been here the entire time.

Olivia took another deep breath, this time only through her nose. She focused solely on that one smell, a smell she recognized but couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Bubble gum," she whispered softly as her cell phone rang out nearly scaring her to death. "Shit!" she said as she fumbled for her phone. "Benson," she replied out of habit as she put the phone to her ear.

"Liv, where are you?" Elliot asked from the other end of the line. "I turned around and you were gone."

"I only stopped for a second. When I stood back up, I was alone."

"I don't like this. Where are you?"

She looked around her for a moment.

"I am between that big tree and another tree," she said sarcastically.

"Very funny. Seriously though, stay put I am coming to find you."

"I don't think you guys are that far away. I could hear the brush moving around me as you were walking, I just couldn't see you. I called out to you, but no one answered."

"Liv, we have been stopped at a stream for the last ten minutes or so. We were waiting to see if you would catch up. I didn't see you and stared to worry, so the first moment I got signal I called your phone."

"Well someone was here, Elliot. I heard them. Maybe it was just one of the guys trying to scare me."

"Olivia, that is what I am trying to tell you….all of the guys are here with me."

Olivia gulped suddenly feeling as if eyes were watching her from the trees. Someone was out there, she could feel it.

"Olivia, do you have your weapon?"

"Yes," she choked out.

"Stay right where you are. I am on my way," Elliot said running away from the group and into the wooded area to find his partner.

"Elliot, where the hell are you?" she asked softly and he could hear the fear in her voice.

Elliot knew that she only had a few rounds in her gun. And although Olivia was a damn good shot and one shot is all it would take to take this man down, shooting a camouflaged mad man in the woods and taking down a perp on a New York City street, were two completely different things. Olivia was completely out of her element.

"Liv, I'm gonna hang up the phone…."

"Don't you dare," she warned as she gripped it tighter in her palm.

"Listen, I need to hang up and call you back. I need you to let it ring, don't answer….just let it ring. Then I can follow the sound of the phone and it will help me find you. I am gonna find you. I promise."

"Okay," she said drawing a staggered breath as she hung up the phone.

Seconds later it began to ring. She listened as the phone rang and rang and rang.

_**One Missed Call…. **_

Again it began to ring and ring and ring.

_**Two Missed Calls…. **_

She stared nervously at the phone as she felt the tears rising in her eyes. She had to keep her cool.

_**Three Missed Calls…. **_

_**Four Missed Calls…. **_

"Shit!" she said nervously as the phone began to ring again.

Now her heart was beating even faster than before. She could feel a knot rising in her throat and the fear of being lost alone in the woods with a mad man on the loose was starting to get the best of her. She watched as the message appeared on the phone screen once more.

_**Five Missed Calls…. **_

She closed her eyes tight and drew a deep breath as a single tear slid down her face. Then she heard it. Off in the distance, what sounded like a muffled cry. She opened her eyes and looked at the strange new world around her.

"Olivia!"

His voice was so far off she could barely it out as he called to her.

"Elliot!" she called back to him. "I'm here!" she yelled as she walked toward the sound of his voice.

Through a hundred trees and several hundred yards into the woods she finally reunited with her partner.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked as he threw his arms around her.

Olivia closed her eyes for a moment burying her face in his shirt and taking in the scent of him. Rugged and manly, dirty, sweaty, woodsy man odor and it was the best smell she had ever smelled in her life.

"I'm alright," she mumbled into his chest.

"Hey," he said tipping her head back to stare into her dark eyes, "I am so sorry. I will never leave you behind again. I swear to you."

"El, I'm alright. The woods just freak me out."

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked inspecting the scratch on her left cheek and the small hole torn in the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Sticker bush," she replied wiping her cheek with her sleeve like a tough guy. "Really, I'm okay. Just all of sounds and smells and being alone in the woods, had my imagination running wild."

"Did you see anyone?"

"No. Just dirt and leaves. For miles, dirt and leaves and trees and rocks."

"I thought you said someone was watching you?"

"I must have been mistaken….just my overactive imagination or something, because no one was there. No one was anywhere."

"Liv, you don't usually see things and hear things and smell things and it's nothing."

"There was something."

"You saw something? Something that can help us find the girl?"

"I….smelled something."

They turned to look behind them as Porter and a couple of the guys began laughing.

"You smelled something?" Porter laughed. "Did it smell like a big smelly man who hasn't showered in a month? Maybe she is onto something! Benson's got a nose like a fucking bloodhound!" he laughed.

"I _did_ smell something!" she snapped really getting tired of his attempts to belittle her.

Olivia closed her eyes again and tried hard to block out the annoyance and find the smell again. She took a slow deep breath through her nose.

"There! It's still here. Close your eyes," she said placing a hand on each of Elliot's forearms as they both closed their eyes and smelled the air. "It's light and sweet. Do you smell it?"

"I do. It's like….candy."

"Great, you both smell candy?" Porter asked.

"No, it's gum. Bubble gum," she replied looking at Elliot as he nodded in agreement.

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"No, she's right. I've got five kids. That smell is definitely bubble gum. The thick punk extra bubble kind."

Porter and his men were cracking stupid jokes and laughing at Elliot and Olivia.

"Now guys, this is real New York City detective work at it's finest!" Porter said.

"Maybe we should be taking notes!" another man laughed.

"You don't have to have any evidence," Porter called out, "we can just smell our way to the perp!"

"What is your fucking problem?" Olivia shouted as she stormed toward him. "Are you just making cracks at me because you think I am a shitty detective? Because I am a woman, maybe? Or is it because I made the mistake of sleeping with you and now you feel like you have to put me back in my place?"

"Whoa," one man said to another as they all looked at Olivia and then back at Porter.

"That's right guys! I had sex with Agent Dean Porter!"

Porter stared at her for a moment unsure of where she was going with this. The men stood around for a second unsure of how to respond. But as they began to cheer for him like a bunch of unintelligent frat boys Porter grinned ear to ear and nodded his head in a '_Yes, I did that' _sort of way.

"I guess that was supposed to be a secret," Olivia said as she stared Porter down. "You wouldn't want the guys to know the real reason you called my boss and requested I come along on this trip. Then I have not always been that good at keeping secrets."

"No, it's okay," Porter said as he folded his arms in front of him. "You can tell them."

"Tell them? Tell them that the real reason you wanted me here wasn't because of my detective skills….it was for some sort of back woods booty call? Is that what you want me to tell them? To tell them that this entire thing has been a big joke on me, because you planned to seduce me in hopes that I wouldn't notice the white ring on your finger where you wear your wedding band?"

Porter stood shocked for a moment.

"How do you think your wife would feel if she knew the real reason you wanted me here?"

He didn't answer.

"Maybe I should tell them how you came all the way up here to hook up with your partner," he said as the men all stared at Olivia. "She's a great piece of ass! Isn't she, Detective Stabler?"

Elliot lunged toward Porter as Olivia grabbed his arm.

"Don't! That is what he wants you to do. He can't hurt me. Not anymore. I wont allow it." She stood quietly for a moment as she smiled. "Infact, I'll take that as a compliment. You know, that is probably the kindest thing you have ever really said to me. With all of your sweet talk and bullshit lies, I can see right through this tough exterior you put up for show. And inside, you are just a lost and lonely man."

She smiled once more as she dragged the toe of her shoe through the dirt in front of her.

"I may have been just a great piece of ass to you, Dean Porter, but you are a lousy lay. So why don't you take your bad attitude and your one testicle back home to your wife where you belong?" she said poking him in the chest as she spoke. "Because I don't know about the rest of these guys, but I am getting pretty damn tired of being bossed around and treated like shit! I have tried to play nice with you for the sake of this case, but I have news for you….YOU are NOT the one I came here for! I came here to find Arianna! So if you will kindly step the fuck out of my way….my partner and I would like to get back to doing our job!"

"Fucking slut," Porter snarled desperate for a defense as she turned to walk away.

Without a word Olivia spun around and punched him as hard as she could in the nose. He grabbed his face as blood poured from between his fingers. Porter stared at her and she could tell by the look on his face he was mortified in humiliation. The group of men watched as she turned and walked away from him and into the where the pink bubble gum scent originated.

"Do not fuck with me!" she said aloud as she went off on her own.

"Well," Elliot said looking Porter in the eye, "I guess you probably shouldn't have crossed her. Sorry about your….a….shortcomings," Elliot said with a smirk as he turned to follow his partner deeper into the woods.

They walked quietly for a few minutes before Elliot just couldn't take it anymore.

"He really only has one nut?" Elliot blurted out.

Olivia's serious face turned to a smile as she began to laugh.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told _that_ secret."

"No, he told you to go ahead. So….umm…." Elliot cleared his throat and tried to think of the most delicate way to ask her the question that seemed to be stuck in his mind, "how did….was he just born that way?"

"No," she explained, "it was some sort of stupid frat boy thing gone wrong."

"Frat boy thing?"

Olivia stared at him.

"You were a frat boy once. I am sure your did your share of stupid frat boy things."

"Nothing that jeopardize the family jewels! What the hell happened?"

"He said they were drunk at a party and the other guys dared him to sit naked in a tub of ice for an extended period of time."

Elliot laughed.

"Damn! He was stupid enough go for it?"

"Peer pressure is a very powerful thing. Especially when you are talking about a bunch of intoxicated college guys. So they pulled the keg out of the tub and Dean…."

"Dropped his drawers and climbed on in?"

"I guess so. He said they poured more ice and rock salt on top of him and he was in there for nearly half an hour."

"What a dumb ass!"

Olivia fought back a smile.

"Needless to say he suffered frost bite in some really sensitive places."

"And lost a ball?"

Olivia laughed again as she nodded.

"At first he told me some sad story about testicular cancer….what a crock! Not the first or the last time he lied to me!"

"Then he finally told you the truth?"

"No. The truth didn't come out until a few weeks later when I drove out to Philadelphia to spend the week with him. Some of his old college buddies were in town and we got together and had a few drinks. After a few beers they couldn't wait to tell me all kinds of stories of their younger days."

"What an ass!"

"You were right about him," she said forcing a smile.

"Yeah, but you don't know how bad I wish I hadn't been. I mean it worked out in my favor that he didn't end up being the one, but it would have been nice if he had never hurt you."

"Yeah," she agreed. "But you live and you learn. And I have learned a lot from my experience with Dean Porter, about him and about myself."

"You know you probably broke his nose?"

Olivia smiled.

"He deserved it!"

"He did deserve it."

They walked around for a little while searching for signs that Arianna had been in this area.

"El, can I ask you something?" Olivia asked and he stopped walking and looked at her.

"Anything."

"Back there, when I was talking about a smell….did you really smell it? Or were you just saying you did so that Porter and his band of idiots wouldn't give me crap?"

"I wasn't just saying that."

"You smelled it, too?"

Elliot was quiet for a moment as he closed his eyes and breathed in the air around him.

"I still do. It's faint, but it's there."

"Can you tell what direction it is coming from?"

"I think it's coming from over here," he said walking deeper into a dark wooded area as Olivia followed him.

"There are some leaves kicked up over here," she said kneeling to get a closer look at a bare patch of ground. "Drag marks?" she asked as Elliot inspected the area as well.

"Maybe she was walking a little too slow or fighting him. He could have grabbed her, dragging her along. These are fairly fresh. Maybe only a few hours old. We're getting closer."

"He has to know we are hot on his trail. Hopefully he'll get nervous and make a mistake. Leave us a clue of some kind."

"This man doesn't make mistakes," Elliot reminded her.

"Elliot, everyone makes mistakes if you follow them long enough. We just have to be there to catch him when he does."

"You are bound and determined to catch this guy."

"I'm determined to catch every kiddie rapist we go after."

"You are. But this is different. This time it seems more….personal. You have really connected to this case. To this kid."

"She is seven years old and she is terrified. She really needs someone to connect to right now."

Elliot smiled at her.

"That is what makes you so good at this."

"We're not supposed to let it get personal. They pound that into us from the time we enter the academy. It is a danger, a set back. And it can get people killed."

"For most people it is a set back. For you, it's a tool. You identify with the victims in a way that no one else can. And you make it work for you, for the investigation. When you do it, it is a benefit."

"Thanks," she said with a soft smile.

She combed her fingertips through her hair as she looked around.

"Elliot," she said locking her eyes on something pink a few yards ahead, "what is that?"

They walked closer to inspect the mystery object.

"It's a doll," Olivia replied at she turned it over with a stick.

"Princess Taffeta," he said as she stared at him.

"She's one of the lollipop girls. Elizabeth used to have them. There is a whole line of the dolls. Red, purple, blue, green and pink. I've bought everyone. They come with lip gloss and nail polish and each doll smells like a different kind of lollipop," he explained. "Strawberry, grape, blue raspberry, green apple and…."

"Bubblegum," Olivia replied smelling the doll's pink hair. "Arianna was here."

She wiped away a dirty scuff mark on the doll's face and tucked it into her jacket pocket. She smiled at him as they surveyed the area.

"A little old to be playing with dolls, aren't you detective Stabler?"

"The older girls were more into boys and makeup. Dickie only wanted to play basketball and it gave me the chance to spend a little one on one time with her. Elizabeth loved it when daddy played dolls with her."

Olivia smiled.

"I'm sure she did. I think it is adorably sweet that you would do something like that. Not many grown men would play dolls, not for anyone. You're a good father."

"I try to be. I would do anything for any of them."

Olivia walked around inspecting the ground for any sign of tracks. Elliot turned and walked a few feet away trying to figure out which direction the child had gone. Olivia was rambling, talking about something that was nothing really when she heard a popping sound under her feet.

"El?"

As he turned to see the look of concern on her face, the ground giveaway under her feet and Olivia disappeared into the Earth.

"Olivia!" Elliot shouted as he rushed to the place where she had stood.

He looked down into the hole at his partner as she laid still. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving, Elliot wasn't even sure if she was breathing.

He had to be careful how he approached her or the entire area could cave in on top of her. Elliot knelt beside the hole and stared down at his partner watching her for any signs of life.

"Olivia? Liv, are you alright?"

But she didn't respond. He had to find a way to get to her, but if he got down there he wasn't completely sure he would be able to get them both back out of the hole. Elliot picked up the hand held radio Porter had given him when they first arrived in case he and Olivia were to be separated from the rest of the group while in the woods. He turned it on and tuned it to their designated channel.

"Porter, this is Stabler! Can you hear me?"

He listened for a moment, but it was silent.

"Damn it, Porter! Stop fucking around and answer me! Olivia is hurt! I can't tell how bad, we are about five and a half miles west of where we last saw you. We need help! For God's sake, please send help," he said as he listened to the blank static of the radio. "It's no use," he said dropping the radio to the ground.

He was going to have to find a way to help her himself.

Elliot laid down on his chest and tried to reach into the darkness after his partner, but he couldn't reach her.

Just then Olivia groaned and moved a bit.

"Liv?" he asked watching helplessly as her eyes fluttered open to stare at him. "There you are. Are you alright?"

She raised up on her elbows and drew a deep breath. Every inch of her body was screaming out in pain as she raised her fingers to touch a small spot of blood over her right temple.

"You're bleeding," Elliot said in a worried tone.

"I'm okay. I must have hit my head when I landed. The fall knocked the wind out of me, but I'll be alright."

"Give me your hand," Elliot said reaching for her as she climbed to her feet. "I'll pull you out.

Olivia dusted herself off and walked to where he stood, she stood on the tips of her toes and reached up toward him, but their fingertips could barely touch.

"It's no use," she said taking another deep breath and turning as she heard a noise behind her. "Something's down here."

"What?"

"I don't now," she said as she walked toward the shadowy area where the sound originated.

"Olivia, don't."

He watched as she raised her hand to signal to him that she was alright and disappeared into the darkness.

"Liv?"

"Elliot!"

"Shit! Olivia!"

He watched as she stepped back out into the light.

"El, I found her!"

"You found….is she alright?"

"It's okay," Olivia said softly kneeling and reaching out into the darkness. "That's Elliot. He is my friend. We are police detectives and we have come to take you home. Is your name Arianna?"

"Yes," a scared little voice said as a small child appeared from the darkness.

"I think this belongs to you," Olivia replied pulling the doll from her pocket.

Elliot watched as the little girl smiled and reached out to take the doll from Olivia.

"She's very pretty. What is her name?" Olivia asked.

"Princess Taffeta, but I call her Taffy. My mommy got her for me on my birthday."

"Arianna, sweetie, the man who took you….can you tell me where he went?"

"I don't know."

"How long have you been down here by yourself?"

"He said I was bad. So he put me in here and covered the hole with sticks. He said he was going to get food. But that was a long time ago. It was dark out then."

"Did he hurt you?"

"He hit me. And he pushed me in this hole."

"Honey, did the man touch you under your clothes?" Elliot asked.

Olivia looked up at him and shook her head in disapproval, this just wasn't the time or the place to question this little girl.

"Arianna, can I hold you?" Olivia asked reaching out her arms to the little girl. "If you let me, I can hand you up to Elliot. He can get us out of here, then we can take you home."

"What if the man comes back? He will be mad. I will get in trouble. He is scary when he's mad."

"I know, sweetheart. But we are not going to let him hurt you anymore."

"Promise?" the little girl asked in a weary voice.

"I promise," Olivia replied with a smile. "But we have to hurry and get out of here before he comes back."

"Okay," Arianna replied as she stepped closer wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck.

Liv boosted the little girl up for Elliot to pull out of the hole. He sat her down on the ground, then scooted closer and leaned in to get a better grip on Olivia. A few minutes later he had pulled Olivia free as well.

"Is everyone okay," Elliot asked noticing the scrapes and bruises on the little girl.

Arianna shied away from him and turned to look back at Olivia.

"I'm okay. Are you alright, Arianna?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Yes," the little girl replied softly.

"Good," Olivia replied opening her hand and watching as Arianna placed her hand in it. "We should get going, he will be coming back soon."

"Is he gonna find me?" Arianna almost whimpered as she hugged her doll.

Olivia shook her head as she looked up at Elliot.

"We are going to do everything we can to keep that from happening," she replied looking at the terror in the little girl's big blue eyes.

"Arianna?" Elliot asked kneeling to look at the little girl. "That is a very pretty name."

The child stared at him, but didn't respond.

"I have a little girl, not much older than you are. And I know that if she was lost, I would do anything I could to bring her back home. That is what Olivia and I want to do, honey. Want to take you back home to your mommy and daddy. They miss you very much and they want you to come home to them."

"But what if that bad man finds me?"

Elliot pushed back his jacket to reveal his weapon.

"Olivia has one, too."

"Are you gonna shoot him?"

"If that is what it takes to keep him from hurting you, yes. We are not going to let him hurt you anymore. I promise," Elliot said choking back tears as he stared at the child and caught a small glimpse of his own daughters in her fear filled eyes.

"Do you want to hold my hand?" Olivia asked slipping her jacket around the child as a chilly wind blew through the trees surrounding them.

Arianna nodded and smiled as she reached up taking Olivia's hand once more. Liv held tight to the little girl as they walked nearly a mile back in the direction of their camp. Elliot kept trying to make contact with their group over the radio and with his cell phone, but he couldn't seem to reach anyone.

After walking for a while Olivia noticed the child seemed to slow.

"Elliot," she said softly turning her attention to the little girl beside her as he turned around.

"Are you getting tired, sweetheart?" Elliot asked as she stared up at him.

"No, you just walk fast 'cause you have big legs. I just have little legs. I can't walk that fast," she explained and Olivia smiled at her seven year old way of comprehending the situation.

"I have an idea," Elliot said nodding in agreement, "would it be okay if I carried you?"

"I'm not a baby. I'm a big girl."

"You are exactly right. Big enough for a piggy back ride, I'll bet," he said with a wink.

"Yes," the little girl giggled.

"Okay," Elliot said kneeling once more in front of her, "Olivia can help you get up there. You hold on tight to Taffy and I'll hold on to you."

Before long they were on their way once more. They walked another mile or so before they could hear the monster in the woods behind them. The little girl trembled and began to cry as he growled and stormed his way through the woods after them.

"He's mad," she whimpered.

"Take her and keep going," Elliot said lowering Arianna to the ground. "I'll fall back and see if I can't catch this pri….monster."

"El, I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be fine," he said pulling his weapon from the holster. "Take her and go."

"Okay," Olivia agreed with a nod.

Elliot tried one more time to call for back up, but received no answer. He watched as Olivia picked the little girl up on her hip and moved as quickly as she could, disappearing into the trees.

Olivia walked and walked and walked for what felt like an eternity. Until the harsh sound of a single gunshot echoed through the trees around them.

"Elliot," she gasped suddenly feeling nauseated.

She looked around as the wind began to blow again.

"Hide here," she said showing Arianna a large hollowed out spot at the base of an old tree.

Arianna looked confused.

"I have to go back and help Elliot," Olivia explained closing her jacket tighter around the little girl. "You stay here. Be very quiet and I promise you I will be back as soon as I can."

"I'm scared," Arianna said as she began to cry.

"I know, honey," Olivia replied combing her fingers through Arianna's hair. "But you have to be brave right now. You are such a brave little girl. And I will come back for you," she said wiping away a tear from the child's face.

"Promise?"

"I promise," Olivia said as the little girl hugged her tight.

Olivia closed her eyes and held Arianna close to her for a moment. She had to do whatever it took to protect this child, but she couldn't turn her back on her partner, either.

She kissed the child protectively on the top of her head and tucked her into the hollowed out base of the tree.

"Don't make a sound," she reminded Arianna with a soft whisper. "Do not come out of this place until I come back. This is very important, if you don't see me or Elliot, don't come out. Okay?"

Arianna nodded.

"I will be back as soon as I can. I promise."

Arianna waved softly as Olivia walked back in the direction the gunshot had come from.

Olivia was only a few hundred yards away from where she had left Arianna when she heard what appeared to be the sound of someone running toward her. She unsnapped the holster on her hip and readied her weapon.

"Hold it right there!" she demanded as their suspect crossed the path in front of her.

But the man didn't stop. Instead, he pulled a weapon of his own and began firing at Olivia.

"What the fu…." she said as she jumped behind a tree and fired a couple of warning shots at him. "N.Y.P.D! Drop your weapon!" she ordered. But he refused, continuing to fire as he charged toward her.

Olivia moved quickly backwards as she continued shooting at the suspect, hitting him once in the calf of his right leg, hoping it would slow him down. The man continued running toward her spraying random gunfire as he approached her. He wasn't spooking and the leg wound didn't seem to be slowing him any, Olivia saw no other choice but to turn and run.

She ran as quickly as she could, leading the man away from the place where she had left the terrified seven year old hidden inside a hollowed out tree. She glimpsed back at him over her shoulder, realizing he was gaining on her. She had to think of something and fast.

Olivia drew a deep breath as she spun around and aimed her gun at the man once more.

"Stop or I'll shoot! And this time it won't be a warning shot!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw another man. One of Porter's men. He had somehow moved in behind their suspect.

"Freeze, dirt bag!" the F.B.I. Agent shouted.

The suspect stopped running and turned to look at the man. In a split second he turned quickly and raised his gun at Olivia once more. Olivia felt her heart pounding in her chest and knowing she was out of bullets, as she turned to run, she tripped and fell to the ground. She soon found herself scrambling backwards trying to get away from him. But as she attempted to get over a downed tree seeking some form of shelter from the gunfire storm, the man raised his gun and fired three more shots.

"No!" Elliot shouted as watched her fall over the tree, crashing lifelessly into the dead leaves on the other side. "You son of a bitch!" he yelled running out of his own safe place to check on his partner.

Elliot could hear the roar of gunfire continue between the suspect and the F.B.I. Agent as he ducked behind the tree.

"Liv? Come on, baby. Olivia, look at me," he pleaded as he turned her chin and slipped his fingers up the side of her throat to check for a pulse.

As he did Olivia opened her eyes to look up at him. She panted and groaned for a moment in pain as she raised up on her elbows.

"Careful, we don't know how bad it is," Elliot warned her pulling his hand from behind her back to reveal fresh blood.

"It stings."

"I think it went all the way through."

"No, El. It stings," she said groaning once more as she reached behind her and pulled out the broken piece of limb she had landed on. "I wasn't hit," she whispered as she stared up at him. "He missed. The bastard missed."

"Shhh," Elliot said softly. "Can you move?"

"I….I think I'm fine. It's just a scrape. Lucky for me he is a shitty shot and he missed completely."

"He doesn't know that," Elliot reminded her. "How are you on ammunition?"

"I think I'm out," she said popping open the chamber of her gun to reveal a single bullet. "No, I have one shot left."

"I have three," he said taking her gun and handing her his. "Stay down. He thinks he killed you. Give me a few minutes to make my way around and distract him. You take him from the back."

"That gun only has one bullet," she argued.

"One is all I need. You have my back from here. You're a better shot than I am and they have moved a few yards down the path. You may need three if you can't get in close. Where is Arianna?"

"I hid her when I came back for you."

"You shouldn't have come back."

"I couldn't leave you."

"We can do this. Get behind him and take him down. Liv…"

"Yeah?"

"If you get in a bind, shoot to kill. He is a mad man who has already murdered one child and attempted to kill a cop. He has no remorse. He is a monster and he has to be stopped."

Olivia nodded.

"El, be careful."

"You, too," he said flashing her his sexy smile as he leaned forward to kiss her tenderly. "Stay down."

Olivia closed her eyes tight and laid back down in the bed of leaves. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she said a silent prayer. She opened her eyes and stared up at the tree tops as they swayed back and forth above her.

"Here we go," she whispered as she raised up to look over the dead tree.

At this point the gunfire had stopped and the F.B.I. Agent was trying to talk the man into surrendering his weapon. Elliot had moved in on the right side and caught the man's attention. When he did, the suspect raised his weapon once more.

That was the que Olivia had been waiting for. She drew her gun and took aim.

"Hey," she shouted and the man spun around to face her.

As he did, she shot him in the right shoulder, popping the brachial nerve and causing the man to drop his weapon. The suspect howled in pain as Elliot knocked him to the ground and cuffed him. And just like that, it was over.

"Great work," the F.B.I. Agent said nodding to Olivia.

"Not so fast," Porter said looking back at the group of men who had conveniently appeared after the battle was won, "we still have to find the kid."

Elliot looked back at his partner and smiled.

Olivia walked a few hundred yards into the woods as the men followed her. They stood and watched as Olivia brushed back some leaves and knelt in front of an old tree. She reached out her hand and smiled softly as a pair of big blue eyes appeared from under her black jacket.

"Olivia," the little girl said in relief as she threw her arms around the detective's neck.

"I promised you I would come back for you," Olivia said softly as she hugged the child.

"I heard guns. I was scared."

"It's all over now. That bad man is going to jail for a very long time. He will never bother you again. I will make sure of it."

Arianna smiled.

"Let's get you home," Olivia said picking the little girl up in her arms and carrying her back toward their camp.


	9. 9 Lucky

_Where There's Smoke, There's Fire_

_(Chapter Nine: Lucky)_

Olivia sat on the back bumper of the ambulance and watched as the paramedics inside inspected Arianna's superficial wounds.

"How are you doing?" Elliot asked.

Olivia took a deep breath and turned to look at him.

"I'm exhausted, but I'll be fine. They're just bumps and bruises, El."

"Yeah, well, they should probably check you out just in case."

"Already taken care of," she replied brushing back her hair to reveal the bandage that had been placed there when the medics had checked her out.

"What did they say?"

"She seems alright. They were constantly on the move. I don't think he really had the time to abuse her sexually. He smacked her around a bit and she has hand print bruising on her arms where he held on to her as he dragged her through the woods. I am sure there will be some kind of psychological trauma, but for now she is doing really well."

Elliot smiled.

"I meant about you," he replied tucking her hair behind her ear.

"They want to watch me for a couple of hours and make sure I don't show any signs of a concussion. When they are finished with her, they want to transport us both to a nearby hospital for observation. So it actually works out. I can stay there with Arianna while the doctors are checking her out."

"She has bonded to you. She trusts you. I think it will be a lot easier on her to allow a doctor she doesn't know to examine her if you are there with her."

"Did you call Cragen?"

"Yeah, the news of her recovery has already hit and sparked a media frenzy. He gave a statement to the press and has spoken to the family, but didn't reveal her location. The longer we can keep this under wraps, the better. As soon as the two of you are cleared, you and I are supposed to transport Arianna back to the city. Her parents will meet us at the station."

Olivia watched the little girl as Arianna looked up and smiled at her.

"Looks like you just inherited a kid," an F.B.I. agent said from behind them.

For the next four and a half hours, Olivia sat by Arianna's bedside waiting for them both to be cleared by the doctors. Elliot entered the room a few hour later sitting a plastic shopping bag on the edge of the bed.

"Clothes," he replied looking at Olivia. "They took hers for evidence and she can't very well go home wearing that hospital gown," he said.

"True," Olivia agreed. "The doctor came in a few minutes ago and they are discharging us both. We're cleared."

"Good," Elliot said. "We should get going."

"It is after three o'clock in the morning, Elliot. I'm wore out and she has to be exhausted. You haven't had any sleep either. Maybe we should get a room somewhere, get a good nights sleep and head out in the morning."

"You're right."

Olivia wrapped Arianna in a her jacket once more. She picked the child up and carried her down to their squad car, buckling her in tight.

"Olivia…."

"What, sweetheart?" Olivia asked giving the little girl a warm smile.

"Will you sit back here with me?"

"Sure, I will."

She climbed into the back seat and buckled herself in as well as Elliot pulled out of the parking lot and headed for a hotel down the road.

"Should I get one room or two?" he asked looking at his partner in the rearview mirror.

"You could get a double room."

"Do you want to sleep with Olivia tonight?" Elliot asked and Arianna smiled.

"Yeah," she giggled.

"Alright then," he replied. "This way we can just play it off like she is ours," he said as he climbed out of the car. "I will be right back."

Inside their room, Olivia ran a bath for Arianna. She sat in the floor beside the bath tub as the little girl played in the water with her doll.

"Do you want me to wash your hair for you?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," Arianna laughed. "Her's too!"

"Okay," Olivia laughed as she poured a handful of hotel shampoo into her palm.

After her bath, Olivia helped Arianna get dressed and blow dry her hair. She watched as the little girl brushed her teeth and ran to jump on the bed. She sat with the child and they watched cartoons while Elliot took his shower.

"Shhh," Olivia whispered to him as Elliot returned from the bathroom.

"Why don't I sit with her while you get a shower?"

"That sounds amazing!"

"I saved you some hot water."

"She is so sweet," Olivia replied looking down at the little girl sleeping in the bed beside her. "She has been through more than any child should ever have to go through and she is still such a doll."

"Her mother and father will be glad to see her again."

"I bet they will. I couldn't imagine everything they have gone through emotionally, losing her like this."

"You're gonna have to let her go, you know?"

"I know," she said softly.

"You've grown quite attached to her. I know it's gonna be hard to give her up."

"I'm just glad that we can return her safely to them. She'll be back where she belongs. Happy at home with her mother and father. She's a great kid. She deserves to be happy."

Elliot smiled and kissed her forehead.

"And we'll have our lives back as well. It will be nice to get back to civilization. I think the best part will be eating food that hasn't been freeze-dried and come in little pouches."

Olivia smiled and laughed playfully.

"I just can't wait to sleep in my own bed again. I'm gonna get in the shower before she wakes up."

After her shower, Elliot sat on the edge of his bed and watched as Olivia towel dried her long hair. He smiled as she caught him staring at her, but didn't turn away. She was without a doubt the most attractive woman he had ever seen.

"What?" she asked tossing her damp towel at him.

"Nothing. I just can't believe how lucky I am."

Olivia smiled a suspicious smile as she scrunched her hair in her fingertips and turned her attention to the mirror. Elliot stood from his bed and made his way to the bathroom. He stepped into the little room behind her and snaked his arms around her waist as he placed a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

"El," she whispered in soft protest as she pushed his arms from her waist. "She is right there," she said turning her attention to the little girl asleep in the bed across the room.

"I know," Elliot whispered turning her around so he could stare into her big brown eyes. "I'm not trying to be inappropriate. I have just realized exactly how lucky I am," he said brushing his fingertip over some scratches on her shoulder. "You could have been seriously hurt out there today….or worse. I could have lost you, Liv."

Olivia watched as tears rose in his eyes.

"But you didn't," she said softly as she placed her arms around his neck. "I'm fine, El. A little bruised and banged up, but fine."

Elliot backed her up and raised her to sit on the bathroom counter.

"Thank God for that," he replied as he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

"Wait," Olivia whispered as she stretched out her long leg to push the bathroom door shut. "That's better," she said with a smile as she brushed her nose against his. "Now, where were we?"

Olivia smiled again as she leaned forward and kissed Elliot tenderly. For several minutes they shared slow passionate kisses. Elliot moved one hand up the curve of the small of her back and used the other to cup the side of her face as they continued their make out session.

"El, we should stop," she gasped as he kissed across her collarbone.

"Right," he grunted as he turned his attention to the closed door behind them.

Olivia stared into his eyes and smiled.

"Tomorrow night," she said softly. "Tomorrow night, we'll do this right. You can spend the night and we'll order in…..whatever you are hungry for. And spend the night together, just you and I. No phones, no cases, no work of any kind. Just you and I."

"You know, since it is technically tomorrow already…..tomorrow night is really tonight."

Olivia laughed.

"Tonight then. I promise. Deal?"

"We can spend the night making up for lost time. Spend the entire night making love to you, holding you and just being with you. Just you and I. Sounds amazing."

"Yeah it does," she agreed.

"I guess I can wait that long," Elliot said with a smile.

"You are such an amazing guy. Most men wouldn't be so content with waiting."

"Most men don't have what I have. You, Olivia, are definitely worth the wait."

"You're gonna make me blush," she replied shyly.

"I love you," Elliot whispered.

"And I love you," She replied kissing him once more.

"You're exhausted, baby. What do you say we try to get a little rest? We have another big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"But it will be a good day."

"And a good night," Elliot replied with a smile.

Olivia laughed as she hugged him.


End file.
